


Day Break

by Slash_addict



Series: Burning Bridges [4]
Category: DCU
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-13
Updated: 2011-08-13
Packaged: 2017-10-22 13:54:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/238749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slash_addict/pseuds/Slash_addict
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is chapter one in the forth and final part of the Burning Bridges Arc.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day Break

 Day Break  
Chapter one:  
   
5 Days Until full virus up load . . . .  
   
Jay rolled over and scrabbled for the phone, “Hello?” he asked muzzily  
   
A woman’s voice sounded on the other end, “Oh, hello,” she replied, sounding surprised, “. . . would this be Jay O’Connell?”  
   
Jay blinked, wondering sleepily why the woman’s voice sounded familiar, “Uh, yeah, who’s this?”  
   
“This is Lois Lane from the Daily Planet.”  
   
Understanding crashed into Jay’s brain and his eyes snapped open, he glanced over at where Bruce had pushed himself up on an elbow after feeling the tension slam through Jay’s body. He mouthed at him “Lois Lane.” and Bruce’s eyes went wide. Jay concentrated on his voice, it was always worst right after he woke up, “Um, hi,” he paused for a moment as reality reasserted itself, “Wait, how the hell did you get this number?”  
   
“Oh, Bruce and I used to date.” She replied casually, “I’m calling to confirm that you and Bruce are actually together?”  
   
Jay rubbed a hand over his face, “Um, since when did you cover stories like this Ms. Lane? I thought you were more of the hard hitting action, end of the world type?”  
   
He could actually hear the embarrassment in her voice, “Normally, yes, but as I have a contact—  
   
“So your boss made you.” Jay fished for her, feeling sympathetic, “Well I’m sorry that you’ve been put in such an awkward position Ms. Lane. Let me simplify things for you. You have a good day now.” And he hung up. He shifted back towards Bruce, laying his head on Bruce’s chest. “And so it begins.”  
   
Bruce nodded, running a hand through Jay’s curls, making him shiver. “They’re probably camped out in front of the manor as we speak. How did you sleep?”  
   
Jay shifted closer and sighed, “Wonderfully. How about you, any regrets?”  
   
“None.” Bruce slid his hand along Jay’s stomach and then paused, “Jay?”  
   
Jay opened his eyes and glanced at him, “Hmm?”  
   
“Would you consider moving into the manor?”  
   
Jay blinked in surprise, “Really?”  
   
Bruce hesitated, “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I just . . . it’s nice, waking up with you, like this . . .  
   
Jay pulled his head down towards him and kissed him passionately, “God I love you.” He closed his eyes against the flood of emotion and felt Bruce shift so that he was lying half on top of him sending a shiver through him again, he pushed his hips up against Bruce’s body making Bruce moan in response. “Let me, oh Jesus, let me think about it? I’ve got Conner now and I—”he broke off as Bruce shifted again and nodded.  
   
“Latter. Where’s the lube?”  
   
“I—I’m not sure, you had it last.”  
   
Bruce searched frantically through the sheets and then giving up, yanked open the bedside drawer and broke open a new tube. Jay snickered, “You know that last longer if you use it more than once.”  
   
“Shut up.”  
   
“Yes sir Mr. Boss man—oh Jesus yes.”  
   
Bruce glanced up with a smug look on his face as he traced Jay’s entrance with two well lubed fingers.  
   
“More.”  
   
Bruce hummed in agreement and slid his fingers in making Jay arch in pleasure. He quickly added a third rubbing gently until he found—  
   
“Fuck me yes. Oh God, don’t stop.” Jay tugged on him, “You, in, now.”  
   
Bruce laughed, the familiar feeling of intoxication thrumming through him that always accompanied his time with Jay.   He slid up and into Jay, the muscles in his stomach contracting at the feeling of the warm, tight heat. He dropped his head down on Jay’s shoulder as Jay tightened his arms around him. They found their rhythm; it came more quickly each time. Bruce slid his hand down to stroke Jay’s cock as he felt himself nearing orgasm. Finally, both sated they curled back up together. Bruce ran a hand through Jay’s hair, “I love you.” He still marveled at the fact that he had proved capable after all.  
   
Jay caught his hand and kissed it, “I love you too”.  
   
Eventually they ambled towards the kitchen where Jay began making breakfast, Bruce standing behind him with his arms warped around him. They broke apart as Alfred entered he kitchen causing him to frown.  
   
“Master Bruce, Luscious Fox is on the line. And Sir,” he ventured as Bruce began to leave the room, “I hope that you will both understand that there is no need for you to downplay your affection for my sake. It doesn’t bother me in the least.”  
   
Bruce smiled, “Thank you.”  
   
Alfred nodded and watched him out of the room, “Master Jay if I might have a word?”  
   
Jay blinked, “Sure, what’s up?”  
   
“I wished to inform you that I . . . over heard Master Bruce and Superman speaking the other night and that I inadvertently learned the truth of your past.”  
   
The smile slipped off Jay’s face, and he felt his stomach knot, “Oh.” He swallowed, “Ok. Um, let me explain, please. I’m not going to hurt him, I swear. Or you, or, or anyone. I love him, I mean that, I know it’s hard to believe,” His voice was tight, “but I really do, I swear—  
   
“Sir, if I may interrupt.”  Jay tensed, and Alfred gave him a gentle smile, “I believe you. You need not fear my reaction.” Alfred reassured gently, “I only wished to let you know that I knew so that you would not worry over my finding out. And if I may be so bold, I’m happy that you’re here. Despite your past, you have been nothing but good for Master Bruce since he met you.”  
   
Jay relaxed slightly, “Oh. Um, good.” He closed his eyes and sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face, “Thanks, for telling me. I should go talk to Bruce. And I meant what I said. I’m not going to hurt him.” Ever.   
   
Jay entered into the living room to find Bruce finishing up his phone call with Luscious.   “ . . . .again, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. Yes I’ll see you tomorrow. Good bye.”  
He glanced up and immediately looked concerned at the expression on Jay’s face, “What’s wrong?”  
   
“Um, Alfred knows.   Um, about me.” Jay hesitated, the feeling of panic that had emerged at the start of his conversation with Alfred crystallizing. He looked into the future watching with crystal clarity as person after person found out. Not all of them would prove so understanding. He pressed on, not meeting Bruce’s eyes. “Bruce, if, if he can find out, even by accident—Bruce the other Capes are going to find out. They just are. It’s what you guys do, I don’t want” he swallowed hard, “I don’t want to get you into trouble. What are you going to say to the people that I’ve hurt? I don’t want you to suffer because of me.”  
   
Bruce crossed the distance between them in two quick strides and swept Jay up in his arms hugging him close, “Jay, I love you. I don’t care who knows, or who finds out. Let them, you are all I want.”  
   
Jay shivered in his arms, “I always hurt the people I love.” He whispered  
   
“Oh Jay no. God no.” Bruce tilted his head up and kissed him, “you are not going to hurt me. I promise.” Jay nodded and held on tighter, finally Bruce asked, “Did he say anything to you?”  
   
Jay could hear the unspoken threat in his voice and smile into his chest, “Actually he said that he was ok with it.”  
   
“Really?”  
   
“Really. I think I might have upset him, leaving so abruptly like that. I just, I was suddenly so scared that if he could find out then everyone would, you know, and then you would find yourself under siege by Capes trying to convince you that I was going to kill you in your sleep. Which I’m not.” He asserted vehemently  
   
“Jay, I know. I believe you. I trust you.”  
   
Jay closed his, and hugged him tighter, “Thank you.”  
   
Bruce kissed the top of his head, “I’m not going to leave you. Ever.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
The mournful strains of Chopin’s nocturne in E flat drifted through the O’Connell residence.    Miriam’s fingers slid from one key to the next her mind lost in distant and painful memory.   As the song came to a close she picked up a wine glass which was perched atop the piano and toasted the picture at the other end of the room. “Happy birthday mom.”  
   
The picture was a family portrait of her mom and her Uncle Shawn, done before she was born. She almost never came in here. The memories were still too sharp, too difficult to deal with. Perhaps, with more time, one day . . . she swallowed down the wine trying to erase the bitter taste of her tears. One day.  
   
   
*   *   *  
4 days . . .  
   
“So is it true?”  
   
Jay paused in the act of opening his office door, “And hello to you too Tira.”  
   
She waved away his greeting, “Come on Jay is it true, are you really dating Bruce Wayne?”  
   
Jay sighed, “Yes Tira, its true. Though I fail to see how that has anything to do with you. Do I have any messages?”  
   
She returned to the position behind her desk, immaculately made up face thoughtful as she expertly shifted through the backlog of messages. “I’m assuming that you don’t want anything from anyone demanding to know if you are actually dating Mr. Wayne?” Jay nodded “I cannot believe he’s gay!” she muttered as she searched, “God, what a waste. And no wonder I could never get you out on a date! You should have told me you played for the other team.” His secretary admonished him  
   
Jay rolled his eyes, “I thought no would have sufficed. Anything?”  
   
“Well there are several hundred requests for an interview, one message from Luscious Fox about giving him a call and that’s about it.”  
   
“Fine, I’ll be in my office, unless the lab is burning down I don’t want to talk to anybody got it?”  
   
“Yes Sir.”  
   
Jay closed the door to his office and collapsed against it. Vultures! The lot of them. From the moment he’d left the manor they’d hounded him mercilessly. Conner had given him an earful when he’d got home. The phone hadn’t stopped ringing, Conner had finally disconnected it only to have reporters start calling his—Conner’s—cell phone. The number wasn’t even listed! Jay had told him he could blame Supey for that because apparently wifey was pumping her husband for contact information. Conner had put two and two together and flown off to have it out with Superman. Meanwhile he’d missed an appointment with Miriam because he was scared that some one would trail him to the clinic and realize that he was seeking psychiatric help, that certainly wouldn’t look good on the news now would it. So he’d skipped it, called and left a message on her cell phone that he’d hook up with her latter then driven to work, only to be pounced on again the moment he got out of his car. It was a nightmare! And it didn’t stop there, he couldn’t walk three feet without one of his fellow employees interrogating him, he’d seen mafia Dons be more merciful.  
   
The phone rang, pulling him from his revere. “What?” he barked into the receiver  
   
“Bad day?”  
   
“Oh, hi Bruce, something like that yes.” He sighed, “Sorry.”  
   
“No need to apologize, I’ve had a hell of a day myself, can’t even imagine what it’s been like for you.” He hesitated, “Did you want to try and have lunch?”  
   
The uncertainty in Bruce’s voice made him wince, “Of course I do babe, I’m not mad at you, honestly. I just underestimate the response is all. Is everything ok on your end?”  
   
He could hear Bruce sigh, “Some of the members of the board aren’t crazy about the fact that I’m dating an employee, but I have no direct oversight of your department, that’s up to Luscious and the board so they were willing to let it go. The fact that you are so amazingly good at what you do didn’t hurt either.”  
   
“Flatterer.”  
   
“Not at all, you’re the best, simple as that . . .”  
   
Jay picked up on Bruce’s hesitation, “Talk to me.”  
   
He could see Bruce smile, “I want to—would you mind if I came down to see you?”  
   
“Bruce you are always welcome down here, you know that and I could—”He interrupted himself as emotions swamped him “please.”  
   
*  
   
Bruce ignored the knowing look that Jay’s secretary gave him as he let himself into Jay’s office. Jay was at his desk looking even more frazzled than he had sounded on the phone. Jay glanced up and, giving him a brilliant smile, got up from the desk and practically threw himself into Bruce’s arms. Bruce closed his eyes and held on tight. He could not loose this man. And he was terrified that paparazzi were going to scare him off. “Jay I’m sorry things were so incredibly crazy, I admit that their response was more than I expected as well” and aimed at the wrong person, “I’m so sorry—  
   
Jay silenced him with a kiss. “Bruce I’m fine.” He glanced at the expression on Bruce’s face and continued, “And they’re not going to scare me off. I promise. You’re stuck with me.”  
   
Bruce relaxed, and smiled ruefully, “we’re quite the pair aren’t we?”  
   
Jay kissed him, “Well, we neither of us have had the most stellar experience with past loves. I say we’re entitled to a little paranoia.”  
   
Bruce laughed “And that Jay, is one of the many reasons that I love you.”  
   
3 days . . .  
   
Jay looked up from the microscope and rubbed his eyes tiredly, Jesus three in the morning. With any luck all the Vultures will have gone home for the night. Day. Whatever. He had just begun packing up when a familiar female voice hailed him.  
   
“Jay O’Connell?”  
   
Jay sighed in frustration and turned around to find Lois Lane standing in his laboratory. “Ms. Lane this is a secure faculty, and I fully intend to have you arrested for trespassing. How did you even get in here?”  
   
“I told one of the guards that I’d been in visiting my boyfriend and had forgotten my purse. He was kind enough to let me up.”  
   
Jay shook his head; he’d have to tell Bruce that his security sucked. “Clever,” he replied tartly, “and now Ms. Lane I will escort you to the front door and bid you good night.”  
   
“So as both you and Bruce have failed to deny the rumors I’m assuming that you are in fact dating. So how long have you been together?”  
   
Jay finished downloading the information he intended to take home with him, saved and closed the file, he put it in his briefcase and then turned towards Lois, “This way.” He said briskly as he began walking towards the lab door.  
   
“You didn’t answer my question.” Lois said as she walked quickly after him  
   
“I realize that.” He took her arm and escorted her to the elevator.  
   
“Why don’t you want to talk about your relationship?”  
   
Jay sighed, “Because it’s private Ms. Lane, private, as in not for public consumption. You’ll just have to find something else to titillate the masses.”  
   
“Are you the first man that Bruce has been with?”  
   
He looked at her and raised an eye brow, “Shouldn’t you be asking him that? Besides didn’t you say that you used to date? I should think you’d be pumping him for information rather than a man you’ve never met before.”  
   
Lois made a face, “Bruce is not very forthcoming when it comes to personal matters. I was hoping that I could convince you to see reason.”  
   
Jay barked a laugh, “Ms. Lane what on earth is reasonable about discussing my private life with a prefect stranger?”  
   
Lois pounced, “It’ll get all of the others off your back. This story is only hot until one of us gets what we want. After that its old new, if you give me an exclusive interview now, then you can go back to living your life without being inundate by reporters.” She made a face, “My Boss is not going to let me drop this, as much as I’d like to, can’t you just give me a little something?” She pleaded.  
   
“An interesting theory Ms. Lane,” Jay mused. “And while I do sympathize with your plight I’m going to have to decline. Here we are. Now, Eddie,” Jay addressed the guard on duty, “Do you see this woman here?”  
   
“Yes Sir Mr. O’Connell.”  
   
“Is she an employee Eddie?”  
   
“No sir.”  
   
“Then why, Eddie was she allowed onto a floor that has such restricted access that even other employees are not permitted to go there.”  
   
“Ah,” Eddie licked his lips suddenly looking like he was hoping that the earth might open up and swallow him. Unfortunately geology was not on Eddie’s side tonight, “She said that she forgot her purse and that she was having women’s troubles Sir.”  
   
“We have tampons in the women’s restrooms Eddie.”  
   
Eddie winced at the word tampon, clearing not wishing to think about such things, Jay rolled his eyes, “Eddie I want you to call in whomever is on call for security, I’m going to call Mr. Wayne and you are going to get to explain your reasoning to him. Personally.”  
   
Eddie looked panicked, “No! Please Mr. O’Connell, I’m sorry, I just, I was just trying to help.”  
   
Jay looked pained, “Eddie for all you know this woman could have been a saboteur.”  
   
“But she’s a girl.”  
   
Jay blanched, “Oh my dear God, ok yes, good night Ms. Lane.” He shooed an offended Lois Lane out the building’s front door and put in a call to Bruce.  
   
*   *   *  
“I don’t believe it! Bat’s is gay. Batman for crying out loud is gay. Jesus, I wouldn’t have seen that coming in a million years.” Ollie shook his head, “hey, maybe he’ll loosen up now that he’s getting laid.” He remarked as he let an arrow go.  
   
“Doubtful,” Hal commented, moving the target with his ring so that Ollie’s arrow fell short causing Ollie to turn and glower at him, “But I have to admit that is certainly a surprise. Personally I thought the man was asexual.”  
   
Ollie laughed, “Nah, guys like that, they’re always hiding some deeply hidden neuroses or sexual fetish. Probably kinky as hell, our Bats.”  
   
Hal shivered dramatically, “Don’t say things like that I’ll have nightmares for weeks.”  
   
*  
   
Kara looked up from the gyrating line of asses on BET and blinked, “Seriously, gay? As in sleeps with other men gay? . . . .Wow.”  
   
“Yeah, I know. It’s like the world has gone all wonky. I mean if you can’t count on Batman to be a strait laced WASP who can you count on?”  
   
“I cannot believe that Dick didn’t say anything.”  
   
Boomer laughed, “Nightwing is not in the habit of making announcements about his former mentor’s sexual preferences.”  
   
“But this is huge! Have you ever met Batman?”  
   
“Can’t say that I have. Met Robin once.”  
   
“Well if you’d met him you would understand how huge this is. I cannot believe he’s gay. I just can’t. Are you sure?”  
   
“Well, I heard it from the Doom Patrol who heard it from Hal Jordan who heard about it from Green Arrow. So I’m assuming it’s true. I’m not sure how they found out though.”  
   
“ . . .wow!”  
   
*  
“Dude! Robin, is it true?”  
   
Robin glanced up from the schematic he was memorizing as Kid Devil burst through the door to the Titan living room, Rose on his heels. He raised an eyebrow, “Is what true?”  
   
“Dude, you have to ask? The thing about Batman, is he really gay?” Robin merely looked at him until he began to fidget nervously, “Ah, right, not really any of my business. Got it.”   
   
He turned to leave when Rose piped up, “You don’t scare me with that Bat shit, he just asked you a question man, it’s not like he was asking for you first born or anything.”  
   
Robin rolled his eyes behind the mask, but merely replied levelly, “I was attempting to ascertain how Batman’s personal life was any of his affair.”  
   
Rose snorted, “At this point, it’s everyone’s affair! It’s all over the grape vine. Everybody is talking about. We,” she pointed from herself to Kid Devil, “Just weren’t sure how true it was and we thought, being the mature individuals that we are, that we’d ask someone who should know rather than just believing street gossip.”  
   
Kid Devil nodded, “What she said.”  
   
Robin smiled slightly, “Fair enough. Yes, it’s true.”  
   
Rose’s one eye went wide, “Seriously?”  
   
“Damn!” Kid devil agreed  
   
*   *   *  
2 days . . .  
   
“I’ve found that if I leave late enough, they’re too tired to give chase.”  
   
Bruce chuckled on the other end of the line, “Has anyone else managed to get into the building?”  
   
Jay, attempting to measure out three milliliters of phosphoric acid, switched the phone to speaker, “No, our tenacious Ms. Lane has been the first and the last. Jesus that woman is persistent.”  
   
“I apologize for that.”  
   
“What the fuck?” Jay spun around slopping acid onto the floor and his hands as he did so, “shit!”  
   
“Jay?!” Bruce yelled on the other end of the line, Jay however was running to the emergence shower trying to get the acid off, “I’m ok.” He yelled over the sound of the spray, he glanced down at his hands, “I think.” He turned to glare at superman who was hovering next to him now, “Seriously man, don’t sneak up on a guy when he’s messing around with acid. Bad things happen. Trust me on that one.”  
   
“I’m so sorry. Are you ok?” He asked looking worriedly at the angry red flesh on Jay’s hand, “We need to get you to a Doctor. Jay I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you! I came by to apologize about Lois.”  
   
Jay chuckled and then hissed as he tried to move his hand, “Ooo, I think I may have to take you up on the Doctor idea. Damn, I don’t remember it hurting this much before. Um, Supey could you do me a favor?”  
   
“Of course.” Superman replied looking anxious.  
   
“Could you get my cell phone and scroll down until you see M and give her a ring?”  
   
“M? Miriam?”  
   
“Ah, see I knew you weren’t as dumb as everyone said you were.” He winced, “Sorry, I get mean when I hurt. Yeah, dial her would you.”  
   
“Jay are you ok?”  
   
Jay looked up to see Batman jumping through the window, “hey look the gangs all here.” he remarked tightly, his mouth set in lines of pain as Batman hurried over pulling something from his belt and pouring it over the burns. Jay blinked, “Wow, that’s better. Much better, what is that stuff?”  
   
“It’s a synthetic coolant that I created to deal with acid burns.”  
   
Ah, “From me.”  
   
He nodded, “From you. Are you ok?”  
   
“Miriam is on her way Jay.” Superman remarked as he hung up the phone.  
   
“I’m ok, I’m just, I think I need to sit down for a bit.”  
   
Bruce nodded and led Jay toward his office sitting him down on the couch and taking a seat next to him; Jay rested his head against his shoulder tiredly holding his hands stiffly so as not to put tress on the burns.  
   
“Jay I’m so sorry.” Superman said again  
   
“It’s ok Supey,” Jay sighed, “Accidents happen. So why were you stopping by?”  
   
“I wanted to apologize to you, well both of you, about Lois. She shouldn’t have used the number that I have to call you guys and, ah, I was hoping that you wouldn’t press charges about her breaking and entering.” He looked imploringly at Bruce, “You know how she is with a story.”  
   
Bruce sighed, “We’re not going to press charges Clark. But if you could get her to stop calling the manor that would be wonderful.”  
   
Superman nodded, “I’ve already spoken to her.” He hesitated, “So how are you guys doing under the onslaught?”  
   
Bruce shrugged, “Ok. We wish they’d leave us alone but other than that we’re fine.” He glanced down at Jay’s hand, “Mostly.”  
   
Jay chuckled weakly, “I’ll live.”     
   
“I’ll be the judge of that.” Miriam said from the doorway  
   
Superman turned around, startled, “that was oh—”he trailed off at the sight of Conner and Tim following behind her.  
   
“We were at a movie.” Conner said by way of explanation as Miriam inspected Jay’s hand muttering to herself and shaking her head.  
   
“They are not out to get me.” Jay laughed “it was an accident.”  
   
Robin blinked, “You can understand the language she was speaking?” Miriam and Jay exchange glances and then turned to find the room’s attention squarely on them. Miriam glared at Jay. “Miriam said that it didn’t even have a proper name.” Robin pressed, sounding slightly hurt.  
   
Miriam sighed, “It doesn’t and I didn’t teach him Tim, he’s just picking up on my emotions which he can do because we’re so close. Remember.”  
   
“Oh.” Robin ducked his head in embarrassment, “Right. Sorry.”  
   
“You can read each other’s minds?” Superman asked and Bruce turned to Jay, eyebrow raised.  
   
“Ah,” Jay coughed, “Not exactly. Um, when M healed my brain she sort of, um,” he turned to Miriam for help  
   
“We were bonded. It’s complicated.”  
   
“And now you can read each others emotions.” Bruce finished, he turned to Jay, mouth twitching, “You might have mentioned.”  
   
Jay’s eyes went wide, “No, no. She can’t—um,” he turned to Miriam, “you can’t can you?”  
   
She grinned at him, “Pick up on you guys when you’re having sex? Tell me, do you really want to know that answer to that?” Jay looked so horrified that Miriam finally relented, “No, I can’t as long as I’m far enough away. And I make sure that I am. Not that I haven’t been tempted mind you, he’s very pretty.”  
   
“Well you can’t have him he’s mine. Get your own.” Conner snickered making Jay throw one of the couch pillows at him “See if I make you any more waffles.”  
   
“Hey! That’s not fair.”  
   
“Not that I don’t love being talked about as if I’m not in the room, but I’m taking Jay home.” Bruce remarked as he stood up, helping to pull Jay to his feet.    
   
Miriam glanced at her watch, and then at the guys, “You guys want to go hang at my place for a while? The movie’s over at this point.”  
   
After the three had left Superman remarked on his way to the window, “You two don’t find it strange that a thirty year old woman spends her times with two teenagers?”  
   
Jay hooted with laughter, “You’re asking us what’s strange. A guy who spends his free time dressed up like a giant bat and a guy who once called himself, in all seriousness, the Clown Prince of Crime? Supey you definitely need a different barometer for that one.”  
   
Superman rolled his eyes as Bruce snickered, “You know something? You two deserve each other.”   
*   *   *  
   
“You’re sure you’re ok?” Bruce asked, glancing worriedly over from the driver’s seat.  
   
Jay chuckled as he fiddled with one of the many buttons in the Batmobile. “Bruce, babe, I’m fine. Honestly. She fixed my entire brain; a bit of acid on my hand is cake.” He grinned at him, “But it’s nice to know you worry.” Bruce nodded, eyes returning to the road. Jay allowed the silence for exactly four blocks before saying, “Alright, out with it, what’s wrong?”  
   
Bruce turned quickly to look at Jay an almost sheepish smile on his face that looked very much at odds with the cowl. “Nothing’s wrong, I was just wondering how to ask if you’d given my suggestion that you move into the manor anything thought.”  
   
“Ah. You should have said.” Jay hesitated, “I have. But I’m worried,” He cleared his throat, and started over “Ok, the thing is Wayne manor is yours, you know? I don’t want to feel like a perpetual guest in your house. I’ve spent way too much of my life under other people’s roofs.”  
   
Bruce nodded thoughtfully, “We could rename it.” He said eventually and Jay laughed.  
   
“What? The Wayne-O’Connell Manor?”  
   
“Yes.” Bruce replied so matter-of-factly that it made Jay pause.  
   
“You’re serious.” He said finally  
   
“Absolutely. I want you to come live with me Jay, but it would be our house. Not mine. I intend to put you on the deed. Hell we can even redecorate. It’s been ages since I’ve done that.”  
   
“And you don’t mind Conner coming?”  
   
“Not at all.”  
   
Jay was quite for a moment and then said, “I’m having the kitchen remodeled.”  
   
Bruce grinned at him, “Thank you.”  
   
When they got back to the cave and Bruce had begun stripping out of his costume when Jay tackled him. Bruce quirked an inquiring eyebrow at him and it was Jay’s turn to grin sheepishly, “I want to have sex with you wearing this.” He ran a hand along Bruce’s chest lightly tracing the bat emblem and making Bruce shiver. “Yes I’ve got issues, no we’re not talking about it in therapy and no I don’t want to think about the implications.”  
   
Bruce laughed breathless and pulled him close. “Done.”  
   
They tumbled onto the cot that Bruce kept in the Cave for when he didn’t want to go up, clinging to one other as they groped and fondled. Bruce’s hands stilled momentarily, “If we’re indulging, there’s something I’d like to try.” He ventured.  
   
Jay smiled at him, his glasses skewed, “Anything.”  
   
“I want you to take me.” He answered  
   
Jay ran a hand along his cheek, and then kissed him. “Happily. I’d ask if you were sure but I know you better.” Bruce smiled and Jay asked, “Lube?” Bruce pulled some from his belt and Jay erupted in a fit of laughter that echoed throughout the cave. It sounded very familiar and Jay winced as it died away. “Sorry.” He mumbled not looked at him.   
   
Bruce placed a hand on his cheek and turned his head until Jay was looking at him, “It doesn’t bother me any more than the suit bothers you.”   
   
 Jay sighed, “And one day I will be able to make myself believe that. It’s just” he swallowed, “I hurt you so much—  
   
Bruce quieted him with a kiss, “You once told me you couldn’t spend your life apologizing. You can’t. You are forgiven. Now forgive yourself.”  
   
Jay eyed him thoughtfully, “You know, you’re starting to sound like M.”  
   
“She’s a smart kid. You should listen to her.”  
   
Jay stuck his tongue out at him. “I’m working on it.”  
   
“Good. Now,” He kissed Jay on the temple and whispered “I have one more request.” Jay raised an eyebrow at him, “Take off the amulet.” Jay shook his head at him in mock exasperation but he was smiling. He closed his eyes, his hands sliding up with Bruce’s to unclasp the amulet; it was placed gently on the ground under the cot. Bruce kissed him again. “And no,” he said, smiling against Jay’s lips, “I don’t want to think about the implications.”  
   
Jay laughed, and then plucked the lube from the cot, they rolled so that he was on top and with practice hands he removed Bruce’s belt. He held it up for a moment eyeing it curiously, “You know, all the times I’ve taken this off you, I’ve never once looked through it.”  
   
Bruce smiled up at him, noting absently how familiar yet un-arming it was to seem him—and by him he knew that he meant the Joker,—holding it, “You’re welcome to, preferably not right now.”  
   
“No,” Jay agreed, grinning at him, and laid the belt aside, “definitely not right now.” He remarked with a leer in his voice making Bruce shiver again. Jay traced a finger along the inside of Bruce’s legs and then paused, making Bruce groan softly “Um. Not to spoil the mood or anything but how in the hell do I get the tights off?”  
   
Bruce laughed, “Here.” He shimmied out of the lower portion of the costume leaving him in just the upper part sans cowl and cape.  
   
“Nice.” Jay licked his lips, “God I wish I’d had a camera. Your muscles have muscles, didja know that?”  
   
Bruce didn’t have time to respond because Jay took that moment to slide one finger gently into him making him gasp at the sensation. Jay kept an eye on his face, gauging his reaction. Once he’d judged him ready he slid the finger in further, soon adding another one. Bruce relaxed easily under the onslaught, making his body relax and welcome the intrusion. It was magnificent. Suddenly it was if his whole body jolted and he gasped out, “prostate.”  
   
Jay nodded and teased, “You sure you haven’t done this before? Cause for a first timer you’re doing amazingly well.”  
   
Bruce laughed, “I pay attention. This is amazing, I can’t believe I waited so long to ask.”  
   
“It gets better.” Jay assured him, adding yet another finger, “So why did you wait so long?”  
   
Bruce hesitated, adjusting to the added girth and then said, “I was,” he paused as he lost his breath when Jay hit the prostate again and he groaned, “I wasn’t sure that you would want to.”  
   
Jay paused a moment, “Is that so. So is there anything else that you haven’t asked to do that you’d like to try? Hmmm?”  
   
Bruce glanced up at him and grinned, “This is a very unfair form of questioning.”  
   
 Jay laughed, “And when have I ever fought fair? Ok so out with it.” He shifted his fingers so that he brushed the prostate again.  
   
Bruce’s eyes fluttered shut and he arched towards Jay’s touch, “I want . . . I want to try giving you a blow job.” He blushed.  
   
Jay leaned down and kissed him, “babe you don’t have to be hesitant around me. You know that. I’m game for everything, and if afterward you decide you don’t like it, I’m ok with that too.”  
   
“Thank you.”  
   
“You’re welcome and now, enough talk. You ready?”  
   
Bruce sighed happily, “Very.”  
   
“Good.” Jay slid in slowly, again watching Bruce’s face. He needn’t have, Bruce was in heaven. It was the most amazing feeling, to trust so absolutely, he had never felt anything like it in his life. I was like their first time all over again, but instead of clamping down on the emotions running through him, he gave them rein. He pulled Jay down towards him and kissed him passionately. “Thank you. He whispered, eyes shining. He shifted so that he could better hit the prostate and they began an achingly slow rhythm; whispering reassurance and thank yous to one another.  
   
“You’ve got me. Always.” Jay assured him, “If everything else is going to hell, I will always be here. I promise.”

 

Day Break:  
Chapter Two  
   
1 Day . . .  
   
Bruce woke to find Jay, still not wearing the amulet, standing, head bowed, in front of the case that held Jason Todd’s old uniform. Bruce watched as Jay raised one white hand and placed it on the glass. The acoustics of the Cave were such that even though he whispered, Bruce could clearly hear him as Jay said sadly, “I’m so sorry kiddo. If I could take it back . . .” he left the sentence unfinished as he turned, feeling Bruce’s eyes on him. He gave Bruce a weak smile and wandered back over to the camp bed. “Morning,”  
   
“Are you ok?”  
   
Jay hesitated and then sighed, his shoulders slumping, “Some days are just harder than others.” Bruce took him into his arms and Jay remarked, “Besides shouldn’t I be asking you that? How are you? Sore?”  
   
Bruce shifted experimentally, “A little.” He grinned at Jay, “worth it though.”  
   
Jay smiled back. “It always is.”  
   
They were interrupted as the intercom sounded. “Master Bruce, Master Jay, Mr. Luscious is on the phone.”  
   
Jay blinked. “What for both of us?”  
   
Alfred’s tone was so dry that it could have desiccated marshland. “Indeed Sir.”  
   
Bruce and Jay exchanged glances. “Huh. Well I guess he’s got us pretty well pegged.” Jay said, a slight blush coloring his bleached cheeks.  
   
Bruce snorted. “Tell him we’ll call him back Alfred.”  
   
“Very good Master Bruce.”  
   
When Alfred had hung up Bruce shook his head. “Sorry about that.”  
   
“About what? That my boss knows that I’m shacking up with you?”  He snickered, “Bit late in the day for that kiddo.” He stood up stretching, “I suggest we—whoa!” Jay cried in surprise as Bruce pulled him bodily back down onto the cot.  
   
“Later. Whatever it is,” he kissed him hard, “we can do it later.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
Gareth raised the knife and slit length ways along his wrist watching in fascination as the blood welled to the surface. He dipped his finger in the oozing liquid and began tracing the circles that were now more familiar to him than his own face. The patterns were some of the most intricate ever created, and one incorrect line, one misplaced spiral would render them worthless. The preparation process took over five hours requiring that Gareth continually reopen the wound so than new blood would flow. As he placed the final markings the lines blazed, illuminating the rooms in crimson light and then quieted. Gareth staggered slightly as he moved to place himself in the center of the circles.  
   
“My Queen.” He intoned, voice strong despite the weary dip of his shoulders and the sweat that beaded his brow. “Your servant has cast down the bearers that keep you from this world. Return now, my beloved.”  
   
The light from the circle blazed up again, Gareth raised the hand still holding the knife to shield his eyes and then She was there. Her crystalline gown, which clung to hear body, accentuating rather than concealing her voluptuous figure, swirled in constant movement, as if being roiled by an invisible sea. Her hair, dark and flowing, spread out around her, whispering along the edges of her pointed ears, tendrils reaching out to caress her porcelain face. Her liquid lavender eyes, iridescent in the darkness, sought Gareth who had sagged to his knees in front of her and her lips curled in what could have been a smile if there had been any warmth in it.  
   
“My Love.” She said, her voice like a caress, she moved languidly toward Gareth’s kneeling form. “It is time?”  
   
“My Queen.” Garth gasped, “All has been made ready. The magic I have told you off is about to be cast, the world of man will cease to function and then you, my beloved, may take your rightful place as ruler of this world once again.”  
   
She stroked one hand artfully through his sweat damp hair, “And what of Man’s iron?” She asked her accented voice low and sweet.  
   
“The man with which I work, he,” Gareth moved toward the touch as a man dying of thirst moves toward water, “he is a powerful sorcerer himself. He has a remedy for the iron my Queen. He will seed the world with trees. It will be as it once was.”  
   
“Mmmm” The Queen hummed in appreciation, her voice dropped still lower, “This is good new, my love.”  
   
Gareth nodded, “I—we, the men I work with, we worry that—those that would stop us employ psychics, we worry that they will pin point us too quickly—  
   
Garth broke off as the Queen threw back her head and laughed, the sound was musical, elegant and beautiful, but wrong some how. As if it was a reproduction of something heard but not understood. “Little man.” The Queen continued, “there is nothing in this world that is more powerful than I am.” She took a lock of hair from her head and placed in his hands, her cat like eyes narrowing, “Cast your spells. None shall trouble you.”  
   
“Thank you my Queen.” Gareth groveled, bowing still deeper, “Thank you.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
   
3 hours to up load . . .  
   
Bruce leaned back in his chair and winced. It had been a long night; he’d broken up three different rings of drug runners, all fledgling groups trying to fill the power vacuum left by the incarceration of McAlister. He’d stopped two muggings, his side reminding him that one of which had gotten in a lucky kick with steel toed boots, and then spent the latter half of the night helping with an evacuation of an apartment fire on Cherry and Avondale. He sighed and stood, blinking to clear his vision, definitely time for bed. He shrugged out of his costume, grabbing up a robe and began trudging up the stairs from the cave to his room. To his surprise he found the bed occupied by Jay who was reading a book. He hovered in the shadows for a moment, admiring him. He was wearing the amulet, and his dark curls shone with the same lamplight that his glasses reflected back, the ropy muscle of his wiry frame standing out as he turned the page. Bruce drank in the sight that had so quickly become home. He had never thought to find happiness again, not after his patents. But here it was, despite all rhyme or reason, reading in his bed. Their bed.  He shook his head as he moved out of the shadows, a smile on his lips; deliberately making noise as he approached the bed so that he wouldn’t scare Jay to death, as he had a habit of doing.  
   
Jay glanced up and smiled, “Well hello,” his eyes flicked to the clock, “Long night?”  
   
Bruce sighed heavily and nodded, “I was going to take a quick shower and then head to bed. Were you waiting up for me?”  
   
“No. Just catching up on some reading.” He gave Bruce a lopsided smile, “Conner and I decided to crash here because we’re tired of the reporters waking us up at all hours, not having a nifty 1.5 million dollar security system like some people.”  
   
Bruce laughed quietly, “Fair enough.”  
   
Jay eyed him, “You look like you’re about to fall over. Come on, I’ll help with the shower.”  
   
“You don’t have— Bruce started to protest  
   
Jay snorted, “Yeah because helping you take a shower is such a hardship. Come on.”  
   
The shower had been a good idea; Jay had tisked over his side and admonished him to be more careful in the future. The warm water and Jay’s firm hands had felt wonderful, ridding him of the sweat and grime of so many hours spent in cape and cowl. As he watched Jay towel off, doing like wise for himself, he felt his groin stirring and had to laugh at himself. He hadn’t been this lusty when he was a teenager! Jay turned and caught sight of Bruce’s growing erection.   
   
He raised and enquiring eyebrow, “I thought you were tired?”  
   
Bruce pulled him closer so that they were fully skin-to-skin and Jay shivered, “I was.” He said, his voice rougher than usual, “but,” he gave a half shrug as he ran one hand admiringly over Jay’s chest and stomach.   
   
Jay arched in to his touch. “Oh god.” He moaned quietly, “Dear lord, I—I have never felt like this with anyone.” He finished breathlessly as Bruce’s hand came to rest on the junction between hip and groin. “It’s worse than when I was a kid. Jesus Bruce I’m nearly fifty. You shouldn’t be able to do this to me.”  
   
Bruce chuckled, understanding completely, “Do you want . . .” he let the question trail off as his hand slid around Jay’s now fully erect penis.  
   
“God you have to ask?” Jay pushed him back toward the bed, making Bruce laugh. They tumbled onto the bed, limbs tangling as they twisted together. Finally, once Jay was on his back and Bruce was straddling him, Jay leaned over and hit the lights plunging the room into darkness.   
“Does it bother you?” Bruce asked after he’d removed the amulet and began stroking over Jay’s stomach with agonizing slowness.  
   
“Does,” he arched upwards, trying to get more friction, “Does what bother me?”  
   
“Our age difference.”  
   
Bruce could see a flash of teeth in the darkness as Jay smiled, “Bruce, love, I think, with all of the real obstacles that we’ve had to surmount, something as trivial as age isn’t going to stand much of a chance. And besides, I’m the old man here, shouldn’t it bother you? Does it bother you?”    
   
Bruce leaned down and kissed him passionately, their cocks brushing as he did so, so that they both gasped at the contact. Bruce broke the kiss to say, “No Jay, it doesn’t bother me. I was just surprised to hear you mention it.”  
   
“What? That I’m almost fifty?” Bruce could feel him shrug, “I am. Four more years or so. And you’re what thirty-two? Thirty-three?”  
   
“Thirty-four.” Bruce corrected, still stroking Jay’s stomach gently.  
   
Jay chuckled evilly, “God lord twelve years.” His tone changed and he said quietly, “I look forward to growing old with you.”  
   
Bruce felt his stomach tighten and he leaned down again to capture Jay’s mouth in a kiss, it went on for much longer this time. Their hands continue to explore one another’s bodies as they began to shift ever so slightly, rubbing their cocks together and sending jolts of pure pleasure through both of them. When they broke apart this time Bruce’s hand was already scrabbling at the drawer where they kept the lube. He slicked up two fingers and then slid them into Jay who moaned loudly at the contact.  
   
“Oh God.” He half sobbed, “Please I’m ready, Bruce. Please I need you in me.”  
   
Bruce didn’t argue, he slicked himself up and then slid in, taking his time at first to make sure that he didn’t hurt Jay from their lack of preparation. But when he felt Jay constrict around him his control faltered and he inadvertently picked up the pace. Jay moaned again, rocking his body in time to Bruce’s movements. “Oh God Jay.” He couldn’t say any more. The emotions were just too strong.  
   
 It wasn’t always like this, there were time when they had sex that it was just sex; fantastically good sex, but still just sex. Then there were times, like this one, when Bruce felt a connection so deep within him that despite his years of training and emotional walls a lifetime thick he felt tears welling up in his throat. When he kissed Jay again he could feel wetness on his cheeks. He didn’t know whose tears they were but it didn’t matter. They hung on tightly to one another, their pace slowing fractionally as they tried to make this feeling of complete acceptance, of love and joy and safety last.  
   
“Marry me.” Bruce whispered  
   
“W-what?” Jay asked startled, his voice thick with emotion.  
   
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to grow old with you, I—marry me.”  
   
Jay was silent, they were still rocking together, their bodies so wrapped around one another that it was difficult to tell where one left off and the other began.  
   
“I—oh God Bruce, are you, are you sure?”  
   
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”  
   
“Then yes. God, yes.”  
   
They kissed again, the passion flaring once more and their speed picked up. They were nearing the end; Bruce could feel his orgasm building within him, he reached his hand toward Jay’s cock to help push him over the edge as well.  
   
“Bruce!”  
   
Both Jay and Bruce’s heads jerked around at the sound of someone, in their bedroom, calling Bruce’s name. “Clark?!” Bruce asked, dumbfounded as he struggled to pull the covers up over them and, when that failed, tried to shield as much of Jay’s body with his own as possible, “What in God’s name— he began angrily.  
   
“Bruce we have to— Clark’s voice came to a strangled halt when it became clear just what he had walked in on, “Oh! Oh my god! I’m—uh,” he turned hastily around, “Oh God. Oh, I am so sorry, but Bruce I need to talk to you, it’s—it’s an emergency!”  
   
“I gathered that.” Bruce said flatly, he turned apologetic eyes on Jay, who kissed him gently.  
   
“Go on.” He said quietly  
   
“I am so sorry.” Bruce whispered back.  
   
Jay ran a hand over his cheek, “Don’t worry about it babe. Go on,” he indicated the door with his chin, “go make the world safe again.”  
   
Bruce nodded, and began pulling out as gently as possible, the loss was felt keenly by both of them and Bruce heard a sharp intake of breath from Jay that nearly made him change his mind. “Jay—  
   
“No, go on.” Jay said firmly. He kissed Bruce one more time and then slid out of the bed on the other side, gathering the sheet to himself and heading for the shower, walking carefully in the dim starlight.  
   
“Hallway.” Bruce ground out at Clark.  
   
“Right.” Clark agreed quickly and literally flew out the door. Bruce pulled himself to his feet, his heart aching as he headed out after him, knowing that he smelled like sex and not caring in the least.  
   
“What is it?” Bruce growled, but Clark’s response was interrupted by a cut off yelp from the bathroom.  
   
“Jay?” Bruce shouted, already running in that direction, he stumbled over the rest of the sheets on the floor and nearly fell in his haste but managed to keep his balance. He found Jay getting cautiously to his feet at the door to the bathroom.  
   
“Power’s out.” Jay explained  
   
“That’s just it.” Clark said, having followed Bruce, “It’s out everywhere.”  
   
“What?” Both Jay and Bruce turned to look at him, “What do you mean?” Bruce demanded.  
   
Clark sighed, “The power is out worldwide. Nothing is working Bruce. Nothing. It’s—again Clark’s voice cut off as he caught sight of Jay, sans amulet, in the dim starlight of the master bedroom.  
   
Confused Jay asked, “Supey are you—oh” as he had spoken he’d moved to brush his hair out of his face, and catching sight of his arm, realized exactly what the problem was. “I, ah, sorry—  
   
Bruce caught him as he made to go back towards the bathroom. He wrapped his arms around him and held him close, “Deal with it.” He growled at Clark. “He doesn’t matter.” He whispered reassuringly to Jay. Jay moved deeper into his protective embrace but couldn’t bring himself to look Clark in the eye.  
   
“Clark what do you mean the power is out everywhere. What about generators? How on earth can it be out world wide?”  
   
Clark shook his head, wrenching his eyes away from Jay and focusing on Bruce’s scowling face, “We have absolutely no idea. I can’t reach anyone at JLA head quarters. Communicators aren’t working, hospitals are operating without power, jails are being gutted by their inmates, the world is sliding into chaos and we can’t even rally the superhero community because we have no way to communicate! I haven’t heard from J’onn, which makes me think that he can’t contact me or—.”  
   
“Or that something’s happened to him.” Bruce finished for him as all three moved carefully back into the main room.  Jay and Bruce dressed hurriedly as Bruce said, “I need to try the cave—Oh God Arkham” Bruce breathed, “We need to get to Arkham—  
   
“Arkham is lit up like a Christmas tree!” Clark interrupted, shaking his head “It’s the only thing with power that I’ve seen and I’ve been around the globe twice!”  
   
Bruce paused and then turned to Jay, “Miriam?”  
   
He nodded, “Safe bet. But she won’t be there right now, she’ll be at home her uncle is out on business and she’s keeping Tina.”  
   
“How— Clark began but Bruce waved him into silence. “We’ll figure that out when we get there. Come on.”  
* *   *  
   
There was a loud kerchunk and then Diana sat blinking in the sudden darkness that had enveloped the JLA tower. She reached over to hit the intercom, fumbling among the many buttons on the panel. When her fingers found the familiar button she tried it but nothing happened. She waited a few more moments and listened. Silence. Anxiety stirred. The backup generator should have kicked in by now. “Roy?” She called into the darkness. Nothing. She got up cautiously from the control chair and felt her way along the corridor. The darkness was absolute. She stopped for a moment to listen again. There was no air circling. None of the auxiliary systems were operating. “Roy!” She called again. She tried to recall where he had been last. It was just the two of them on the station at the moment. She had moved a bit farther when she heard a muffled thunk and then the sound of virulent cursing. She felt the constriction of her stomach ease slightly. “Roy? Roy where are you?”  
   
“I’m over here Diana.” He shouted back, “Um, I was on my way to the control room, just stay where you are and I’ll come to you.”  
   
The wait was indeterminable, but to Diana it felt like a life time spent standing in the dark and listen to her own breathing. Finally she heard cautious footfall ahead of her. “I’m right here.” She called in warning. She felt a hand graze her briefly and then pull back.  
   
“Oh, sorry. What the hell is going on?” Roy asked  
   
“I’m not sure.” Diana shook her head and then realized the futility of the gesture. “The auxiliary systems should have turned on by now.”  
   
“Maybe there’s something wrong with the reactor?” Roy offered  
   
“Possibly. Would you know how to fix it?”  
   
Roy snorted, “No. And certainly not in the dark.” She heard him sigh, and thump the wall with his fist, or at least she assumed it was his fist. Roy was almost as hard headed as Ollie. “I didn’t think that this was possible. I thought the auxiliary systems had to come on. That’s what Batman explained to me.”  
   
“It should have.” She agreed. “I don’t know. Come back with me to the control room.”  
   
“So,” Roy asked casually, as they cautiously felt their way along, “How much air do you think we have?”   
   
“Between four and six hours.” Diana replied promptly.  
   
“Oh. Well that sucks.”  
   
*  
   
Batman, Superman and Jay, joined by Robin and Superboy, sped through the night toward Miriam’s house. Their group was the sole movement in the eerily silent night. It was the wee hours of the morning and as of yet most of the residents of Gothem city—both lawful and unlawful— were blissfully unaware that the twenty first century had suddenly ground to a halt. They pulled up in front of the O’Connell residence and Jay fished for his keys. The house was dark as they made their way through the halls, Jay leading unerringly to Miriam’s bedroom. He knocked gently on the door.  
   
“Tina?” Miriam asked as she opened it, and stood staring at the group of men in front of her who stared back. This close Jay could feel her surprise, which then turned to amusement at the group’s reaction. She was dressed in nothing more than a tank top and a thong, tattoos leading the eye up to and around her curves with almost criminal intent. For the second time that night Clark quickly turned his back and stammered, “Oh, dear lord sorry.”  
   
Miriam, unfazed cocked her head, “What’s up guys, bit late for a social call isn’t it?”  
   
Bruce, now dressed in cape and cowl, growled, “The power in the entire city and possibly the world is down, except for Arkham. We were hoping that you could shed some light on the subject.”  
   
Miriam’s eyes went wide, “The entire . . .oh” She said in a small voice, Jay felt her jolt of fear in his stomach. He blinked, knowing that Miriam had to be extraordinarily upset to be projecting that much. “Um. Give me a minuet yeah?” And she closed the door in their faces.  
   
The group, with the exception of Superman, exchanged worried glances; other than Robin, none of them had ever seen Miriam look so rattled.   
   
“That can’t be good.” Conner remarked quietly, and Robin nodded in agreement.  
   
“You can turn round now Supey, she’s gone.” Jay added.  
   
“That was not Miriam Alexander!” Superman declared fiercely. For those who’s abilities or in the case of the Batman and Robin, equipment, allowed them to see in the dark, it was clear that Clark’s cheeks were on fire. “That was a fifteen year old girl!”  
   
Jay sighed, still deeply troubled over Miriam’s reaction. “Miriam is fifteen. She wears an amulet like mine. It would have been hard to convince them to let her run Arkham other wise.”  
   
“She’s fifteen?”  
   
The door opened before Jay could respond. Miriam was dressed now, or at least she’d pulled on a pair of pants, she beckoned them in, as she fished around in her pockets. “We need to get to Arkham. I have to make sure that everything is still up and running, and—Shit,” as one man they whirled around to find a tiny girl with black hair and vivid ice blue eyes standing in Miriam’s doorway, she eyed Batman and Superman curiously but when her eyes fell on Jay she gave a squeal of delight and ran over and hugged him. Robin grinned to himself and Conner laughed. “Hi Tina.”  
   
She waved happily as Jay picked her up and sat her on his hip, turning back to Miriam who was worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “Shit, I can’t level Tina here. We’ll have to bring her with us.”  
   
“What?” Clark asked, clearly horrified by the idea, “To Arkham?”  
   
“Sure.” Miriam shrugged, “I’ve brought her there before when I was working late. Or,” she eyed Jay, “if you wanted to stay?”  
   
“I’m coming with you.” Jay said in a tone that brooked no argument.  
   
“I like Arkham.” Tina replied to no one in particular and then turned her inscrutable blue eyes on Superman, “You’re an alien.” She said.  
   
Clark smiled, “yes I am.”  
   
“And you’re Uncle Jay’s boyfriend!” She continued, turning toward where Batman was skulking in the shadows.  
   
“Tina.” Miriam groaned, pausing in the act of tugging on her boots, “What have I said about reading people auroras out loud?” Conner was trying to stifle his snickering and Robin elbowed him in the ribs. Jay was staring at Tina with a mildly horrified expression on his face, which only made Conner laugh harder.  
   
Tina thought for a moment, “That I shouldn’t?”  
   
“Exactly.” She gave Bruce an apologetic look, “I’m sorry, she won’t say anything, I promise.”  
   
“Let’s just get to Arkham.” He ground out.   
   
*   * *  
   
The caravan to Arkham would have been comical if the situation hadn’t been so alarming. The fliers, Superman and Superboy, took point, followed by Miriam, Jay, and Tina in her candy apple red viper with Robin and Batman in the Batmobile bringing up the rear. Batman had demanded if Robin knew what was going on but Robin had only been able to shake his head; having decided to keep his fledgling theory to himself until there was more to work with.   
   
Miriam pulled up to the gate, barely pausing to swipe her passkey, and pulled through. She sped up to the main turn around, gravel flying as she threw the car into park. She ran into the building with the rest of the group on her heels. The guard on night duty looked up and did a double take at the motley crowd that was rapidly descending on him. Robin could only guess at what they must look like. Superman and Conner drawing parallel with a panting Miriam, whom, as far as Robin could tell, had not activated her amulet, followed by Jay who was carrying Tina on his back.    
   
Clearly panicked the guard cried, “What that—hey you can’t come in here!” Miriam glanced at him and he slumped over at his desk making Tina giggle. “Ok,” she said breathlessly, “Jay I want you to go find Marshall, he’ll be on rounds somewhere in the building. Bring him and meet me at my office. The rest of you come with me.” She swept onward, the heroes following in her wake.   
   
After the darkness of the night the brightly lit halls of Arkham were almost jarring. Miriam took a winding rout that allowed the group to swing past the high security wing, ensuring that all of the patients were still in their cells. Cat calls and howls of indignation and fear followed them up to her office where Jay and Marshall were waiting for them. Marshall’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he took in the scene but his bland expression did not alter, “Problem?” He asked unnecessarily  
   
“Yes.” Miriam said shortly, “I want everyone on double shifts. We need people on every possible exit point. The power in the main city is down and we’re running on generator power. Should that fail—and it will in the next seventy-two hours, the electric locks on the doors will switch over to manually operated ones but that will increase the likelihood of possible escape. The warding is still in effect on the high security prisoners, but anyone below security level five will be at risk.”  
   
Marshall nodded, “Expected time of main power source return?”  
   
“Unknown at this time. Plan for the worst.” Miriam took Tina from Jay and handed her to Marshall, “I need you to watch Tina for me.” The first sign of emotion broke through her professional calm, “keep her safe for me Marshall. I don’t have all that much family left to loose. Tina? I need you to go with Marshall ok?”  
   
Tina nodded solemnly, “I’ll make the wards that you showed me.”  
   
Miriam nodded sharply, her eyes overly bright, “Good. You do that.”  
   
Once Marshall had left, Batman growled, “Miriam enough.   Tell us what the hell is going on.”  
   
Miriam’s shoulders slumped slightly, and she ran a hand through her hair, a nervous gesture that Robin had come to associate with Miriam’s reaction to anything having to do with her past. He felt his stomach tighten in growing apprehension. But Miriam straitened her back and proceeded to the corner of her office. She ran one hand along the wood, which caused a concealed door to spring open; she beckoned them to follow her.   
   
She led them into a room that was lined wall to wall and floor to ceiling with massive computer crays. She took a seat at one of the two control chairs and gestured for Batman to take the other. “Have you heard of the Vermilion virus?”  
   
Robin blinked, it was a name he wasn’t familiar with, but clearly Batman was because he narrowed his eyes and replied, “It was destroyed.”  
   
 “Apparently it wasn’t.” She said heavily as she turned back towards her screens and began booting up.  
   
“Vermilion virus?” Superman queried  
   
“The Vermilion virus was created roughly three years ago. It was designed as the ultimate computer virus, once up loaded it would shut down the entire system but not before sending itself to every other computer linked to that system. It could even open up old pathways that had been closed. Unlike other viruses it did not need to be launched by an outside source, rather it could launch itself, replicate, send out copies of itself and then decimate the computer. It was designed to trick the computer into thinking that it was still functioning. No alarms would be tripped nor would any countermeasures be activated. In fact, it was designed with such an advanced learning algorithm, that should any attempt be made to interfere—” Batman broke off, “It’s like Braniack but rather than collecting data first, it just destroys it.” He summarized. Robin’s internal groan was echoed by Superman and Conner’s verbalized one. Batman nodded, “It was considered so dangerous that the project was canceled and the virus destroyed.”  
   
“Is there an antivirus? Robin asked, glancing at Miriam who still had her back to them.  
   
Batman shook head, “No. It was designed specifically so that it could adapt to anything put in its path.”  
   
Conner let out a whistle, “Damn. So . . . is that was this is?”  
   
Batman’s answer was checked as the screens around them flared to life. Code streamed in front of them and Miriam answered, “Yes that is what this is.”  
   
“So . . .it can’t be stopped? At all?”   Conner asked anxiously.  
   
“Never build a virus you can’t counter.” Miriam said quietly, as she pulled up another set of screens.”  
   
“You created the virus?” Conner asked hesitantly, Tim sighed internally as his burgeoning theory was confirmed.  
   
Miriam nodded, not turning around she continued, “When I left Wales,” her voice wavered momentarily, and then came back stronger, “When I left Wales I ended up in London. I started working for a company called First Strike. I didn’t know much about the work. I didn’t care to. I just needed the work and they gave it to me. When,” again her voice faltered, “When I realized just what I had built, what it was capable of . . .” Now she turned and faced them, her eyes haunted but determined, “You have to understand that until I was twelve years old I had never encountered even the simplest machine. Nothing more advanced than a horse drawn cart. I did not understand how devastating to your world it would be to have something like this. I programmed as I would have manipulated another’s mind. To the people that I worked for it seemed ingeniously novel, for me it was nothing but an extrapolation of what I do naturally.” She sighed heavily, “I’m not saying it’s an excuse but that is why I did what I did. When I—after living in London for over a year, I came to better understand the impact of something like Vermilion, I broke into the control center and wiped everything that I could find. I had designed an anti-virus along with the Vermilion, as Batman said I was instructed not to, but that seemed” She hesitated, “unintelligent in the extreme. So I did so anyway.”   
   
It was Superman who finally broke the silence, “So you can stop it?”  
   
“I’m not sure.” Miriam said haltingly, “I’ve never been able to actually test the anti-virus on a full-scale launch such as this. Clearly it worked enough to keep this facility up and running and I have sleeper anti-viruses installed in all of my client’s networks, but those that aren’t supported by their own power source will be off line.” She made a face, “which is something I hadn’t counted on.”  
   
“What do you mean ‘your clients’”? Batman asked  
   
Miriam didn’t answer him; instead she glanced at Robin, asking, “Does Oracle have a generator?” He nodded, “Well then we should be able to get her up at least. But what we really need to do is get to one of the local power plants up and running that way I can expand my net.”  
   
“Miriam.” Batman said, his tone ominous. “Explain.”  
   
She gave him a withering look but he just stared back at her, she sighed, “While I was working for First Strike, I was also running a side business for . . .” she paused as she searched for an appropriate appellation.  
   
“Technology support.” Robin supplied for her  
   
She flashed him a dazzling smiled and nodded, “Technology support. I worked to improve the security of my client’s systems. Unbeknownst to them I placed a sleeper anti-virus to Vermilion in their data systems.”  
   
“Why?” Batman asked suspiciously, Jay placed a hand on his shoulder, when he glanced up, Jay shook his head minutely. Batman modulated his tone. “Why do something like that if you thought it had been destroyed?”  
   
“Because I couldn’t be sure that it had been.” Miriam said helplessly, “They could have hidden copies anywhere.  When I heard that the program had been canceled, I thought they’d come to their senses. Vermilion is truly devastating. No sane man would use it, because there is no way to stop it. Eventually it would turn on its creator for lack of anywhere else to go.”  
   
“So what do we need to do now?” Superman broke in.  
   
“We need to get the local power station back on line, I kept one of the smaller Biggiy Gateways operational as a failsafe, so all of the servers that run off of it can be reactivated, but it never even occurred to me that it couldn’t run without power.” She grimaced. “Once the power plant is functional I can bring all the systems on that gateway back online.” She sighed, rubbing her forehead, “what I really need is . . .is some type of broadcasting antenna— something powerful enough that it will allow me to bring up my entire network worldwide, of course with only one Gateway to work through it’ll take a awhile. I’ll need to get some of the bigger ones back up before I can do much of anything.” She was muttering to herself now as she ran through the options, scrawling notes on a piece of paper.   
   
“First we need to bring the national power stations back on online. The Power Hubs run on a close circuit system, necessitating a manual upload of the anti-virus. Once we have them running, we could use the JLA system and then bounce the signal off the satellite network. That would at least get America operational again.” Batman offered  
   
Miriam glanced up. “That’s brilliant!”  
   
“I have my moments.” Batman said dryly. “But the question then remains how are we going to get to JLA tower.”  
   
“We can reach it from the Embassy.” Superman replied. “But— oh, but if it’s off line will the door up to the tower work?”  
   
“I’m sorry,” Jay, who had been watching the conversation like a tennis match, interrupted, “for those of us in the room that don’t speak Cape, could some one translate please?”   
   
“The JLA tower is out in space, like the old one, but there is a slideways door here on earth that will transport you from earth to the tower. Think of it as the next step up from teleporters.” Batman supplied  
   
Miriam’s mouth fell open. “You guys are using Gates? Seriously?”  
   
“Gates?”  
   
“Yeah, you know Gates. The thing you’re using with total disregard for the fabric of the universe.” At their uncomprehending stare she elaborated, “Gates! Something like Einstein’s take on the worm hole but rather than traveling through space and time they travel through parallel dimensional space. They’re ridiculously hard to open correctly and require a fantastic amount of power— when opened incorrectly they cause rips in the fabric of the universe. You guys do know that it was the improper use of Gates that caused both Crisis yeah?” She looked between Superman and Batman. “You might want to rethink that method of transportation before you do it again. Just, you know, a thought.”  
   
Batman was looking at her speculatively, but Robin interrupted, “We can think about that latter. Right now we need to know if that doorway will be functional or if not then if we can get it functioning.”  
   
Miriam shook her head. “It won’t be functional, the power requirements for something like that are off the charts. You’d need something like a small nuclear reactor to keep it operational.” She glanced enquiringly at Batman who returned her look with unnerving calm.   
   
“We have such a power source. But it’s on the station.” He replied blandly, “and will therefore also be off line.”  
   
Miriam’s face fell. “Shit.” She rubbed her temples again, “Well, it was a good plan. Ok, ok first things first. We need to get the local power plant up and running again.” She dug through her bag. “I’ve got the anti-virus—”  
   
“Um, not to be a kill joy, but won’t somebody notice that all of sudden their new toy has sprung a leak?” Jay asked. “I mean, I would have.” At a look from Batman he amended, “Well, probably. Eventually.”  
   
Miriam shook her head, “Once loaded it tricks the Virus into thinking it’s still running, preventing Vermillion from activating its counter measures. Eventually the Anti-virus will integrate with the Virus, which will then start to attack itself while still giving the impression to those monitoring it that Vermillion is running. But it will take too long to launch it from just one platform.” She glanced back at the screen that was still flashing through lines of code, “I’ve started the Anti-virus here on the offensive, if we can get my network up and running it can start to push back.”  
   
“Sounds like a plan.” Superman said enthusiastically  
   
*   *   *  
They, he and Bruce, had opted to take the Batplan, necessitating them to make the quick drive back to the Mannor. It would take a bit longer than the direct rout the others were planning but Jay wasn’t keen on the idea of playing human cargo on the Superman Express so he wasn’t complaining. The silence in the car was deafening. Finally he sighed, “Just say it Bruce.”  
   
Bruce’s eyes cut over to him and then snapped back to the road, but his posture radiated disapproval. “You shouldn’t be going with us.” He said, finally.  
   
“Bruce, babe, I’ve got to.” Bruce opened his mouth to respond, but Jay cut him off. “Bruce.” He said very quietly, “I owe her everything. If not for her, there would be no us. I would still be rotting in a cell back in Arkhum, or worse, running lose and hurting still more people.” Jay tried to find a way to make him understand. “She’s . . .she’s family.” Jay watched Bruce’s eyes and even hidden behind starlight lenses he knew that that one had hit home. “She doesn’t want to be involved in all this, in any of this, and it’s killing her because it’s her fault that it’s even happening in the first place. I need to be there for her. I know what its like, to be so alone. She needs somebody on her side.”  
   
They had pulled into the cave at this point and Bruce was leading Jay down toward the abbreviated runway for the plane. He stopped and turned toward Jay, who eyed him warily.

Bruce lifted one gloved hand and ran it along Jay’s cheek, Jay leaned into the touch, bringing his own hand up to rest on the part of Bruce’s face that was visible beneath the cowl. “We owe her everything.” Bruce corrected, and Jay heaved a sigh of relief and pulled Bruce’s head down for a brief, thankful kiss and then began preceding him down the stairs.  
   
 “Come on.” He threw a grin over his shoulder, “I though we were in a hurry.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
“Why is it that boys always just want to pound on things until they break?” Miriam asked as Conner pulled back for another punch as Clark touched down. Clark had been surprised at how much Miriam liked the trip, at one point she’d even spread her arms out and crowed with delight. It had made him smile, and also made him sad that a girl with so much life in her had been surrounded by so much pain.  
   
“Well how else are we going to get in?” Conner asked, pausing mid strike. Miriam arched an eyebrow and glanced over at where Robin had removed the access panel to the employee entrance; triggering the emergency manual override. The door clicked and Robin was able to push it open. “Oh.” Conner said somewhat sheepishly, and Clark held back a snicker as he followed them in side. “Well he’s a boy too.”   
   
“He’s an honorary girl.” Miriam said grinning, causing Robin to snort derisively.  
   
“Hey! Hey, you can’t come in here!” A security guard brandished a flashlight at them.  
   
Superman interceded before anyone else could say anything, “Sir, we are here to try and get the power station up and running.”  
   
“Oh, it’s you Superman.” He smiled in an avuncular fashion. “Thank God! We’ve been going crazy round here!” He lifted his hat to scratch at his thinning hair, “We’ve tried to call the police but we can’t geta line through!”  
   
Clark nodded in understanding, “I’m afraid the problem is rather wide spread, but we’re going to get you guys going again, if you can just take us to the control room.”  
   
“Sure, sure.” The guard nodded enthusiastically, “Right this way. I gotta say that it sure is an honor to meet you, my wife is never going to believe this!”   
   
Once in the main access control room Miriam stopped, “Ooookay. We have yet another problem. Um, we need another power source to get it to run— oh the hell with it.” Miriam placed her hands on the panel shut her eyes and suddenly the room crackled to life.  
   
“What on earth?” Superman asked  
   
“Jesus Christ!” Shouted the Security Guard.  
   
Miriam sat down at the consul and pulled out a CD and dropped it into the now functioning CD drive. “I basically just gave the power plant a jump start. It won’t last.”  
   
“So, um is she one of them Super hero’s too?” The Guard ask, inching away from where Miriam sat while casting troubled glances at the place where Batman and Robin had disappeared into the shadows.   
   
Superman placed a soothing hand on the Guards shoulder, “Why don’t you leave us to work on this? We overrode one of the main employee doors. Someone should probably go check on that.”  
   
The Guard nodded, “Sure, sure. I’ll just go do that. Um, holler if you need anything.”  
   
Roughly twenty minuets latter the eerie, iridescent glow of Miriam’s magic was replaced by the more mundane glow of the florescent lights.   
   
“What? That’s it?” Conner asked looking around  
   
“What you wanted bells and whistles?” Miriam said, winking at him. “I’ll see what I can do. Ok.” She turned back to the consul, her fingers flying over the keys, “I’ve got to reboot the system then get the anti-virus running on counter offensive. It should take me—  
   
“Show Robin and myself what you’re doing. We can make copies of the Anti-virus and then split into teams to bring the Hubs back on line.”  
   
“Alright.” Miriam nodded thoughtfully, “Jay, you come watch too.”  
   
Superman indicated that he and Conner ought to leave them to it and they made a sweep around the building, stopping to converse with and reassure the guards who were scurrying around like rats on a sinking ship. When they finally returned to the control room Batman was just getting to his feet as he tucked a small disk into his belt.  
   
“Robin, you and Superboy will take the Southwest Hub. I’ll take the Northeast and Superman,” Clark noticed Bruce’s fractional hesitation as he glanced discreetly towards Jay, his posture clearly unhappy, “you and Jay can take the Canadian corridor.”  
   
“I’ll get my local network back on line here.” Miriam waved at the computer, “Once you guys get them back on line, stay where you are and I’ll hook into your systems, we can make plans from there.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
Jay was riding on Superman’s back; well clinging for dear life would have been a better description. He’d decided not to mention his dislike of heights, they were strapped for time and needed everyone they could muster but if he’d know then what he knew now?   Jay was trying to distract himself from thoughts of falling to his doom by naming all of the elements on the period table. Backwards. When Superman broke into his revere of mind numbing terror.  
   
“Jay?” Superman yelled over the sound of the wind, “I’m really sorry, about my reaction before.”  
   
“What? Oh,” Jay waved it away, or would have if he dared move his hand, “Don’t worry about it, you just caught me at, um, kind of a bad time.” Jay could feel the man blush.  
   
“Yeah, sorry about that, too.”  
   
In spite of everything Jay laughed, “Just don’t make a habit of it and we’ll call it even.”

Day Break:  
Chapter Three  
   
   
“Did you know?”  Conner asked Tim through the microphone they used when they flew doubled up.  
   
“No. But I’d guessed by the time she admitted it.”  
   
Conner snorted, “Of course you did. I knew that she’d worked in London, she’d told me as much, but she never said . . .”  
   
“I found out by accident really. She’s been running her business for a while now.”  
   
“Business?”  
   
“She hacks into people computers and tells them they need better security.”  
   
Conner laughed. “Fantastic.” He replied approvingly.  
   
 “She hacked Oracle.”  
   
“Dude! Seriously?”  
   
“Hmmhmm I only found out because when I tried to hack into Oracle’s systems, she—Miriam—caught me and traced me back. After that Oracle fessed up that her system had been compromised, and by extension, mine. I could roughly pin point the date that Oracle’s system improved so dramatically—  
   
“Cause you make a point to hack into her system on a regular basis.”  
   
Conner could hear the smile in Tim’s reply, “Keeps the mind sharp. Anyway the date coincided too closely with Miriam’s sudden appearance; I’d known from an earlier conversation that Miriam knew of Oracle so I confronted her about it.” Conner felt Tim shrug, “She wasn’t too cagey about it, she said that’s how she’d been earning her money.”  
   
“What she said,” Conner asked hesitantly,” about needing the work, that was right after the thing with her mom wasn’t it?”  
   
Tim sighed. “Yeah.”  
   
“God she just cannot catch a break can she?” Conner shook his head. “Wait, does Bats know that Oracle’s been hacked?”  
   
“Um, no actually.”  
   
Conner barked a laugh, “Dude, he is seriously going to kill her.” He considered for a moment, “he is seriously going kill all of you.”  
   
“Probably.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
Oracle, who was about three minuets away from simply banging her head on the keyboard, glanced up as her screen blazed to life, “Morning Oracle.” A cheerful, heavily accent voice greeter her.  
   
She stared in astonishment at the beautiful dark haired girl that was waving at her.   
   
“What the—Who the hell are you?” Oracle demanded  
   
“Well aren’t we in a bit of a snit.” The girl glanced off screen and Oracle head the rapid-fire click of keys, “Is everything operational on your end?”  
   
“Wait, wait. What the hell is going on?”  
   
“Um,” the girl bit her lip, “It’s a bit of a long story.”  
   
Oracle crossed her arms over her chest, “I’ve got time.”  
   
The girl sighed. “I suppose you do at that.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
“ . . .So I’m currently activating the ant- virus that I’ve left dormant in your system. Now that I’ve re-routed the power to my backup Gateway servers I can bring the rest of my network back on line.”  
   
Miriam watched as Oracle blinked, “ . . .ok. ”  
   
“I know it’s a bit to taken in but—hold on,” she advised as another screen popped up,  
   
>  
 

   
Another screen announced its appearance. >  
   
Miriam grinned,  
   
>  
   
 “Oracle?”  
   
“You’re talking to me again?” Came the sarcastic response. Oracle had apparently not liked finding out that she’d been hacked by a fifteen-year-old girl from the sticks.  
   
Miriam ignored it, “Ok, looks like we’re all up and running I’m going to start bringing stuff back on line, but I’m going to need you to stay out of your system in the mean time.”  
   
“What?! How am I supposed to do anything—  
   
“Oracle what would you do?” Miriam glared at her, willing her to understand, “Just let me fix this, ok?”  
   
She watched Oracle take a deep breath and expel it in a long sigh, “Fine.” She said curtly, “But I don’t like this.”  
   
“Thanks.” She cut the visual feed and turned back to her waiting screen,  
   
*   *   *  
   
Roy, seated in the darkness, mused over the irony of it all. No blaze of glory for him, no final sacrifice heroic or other wise. No he, Roy Harper, the newly minted Red Arrow, was going to die floating in a tin can in the middle of space. He sighed heavily, his lungs struggling to pull in sufficient oxygen as he tried to breathe in again. They’d given up speaking; the excess use of oxygen was wasteful. And honestly, what could they say to one another? Man it sucks that we’re going down like this?  
   
Where were the others, Roy wondered. Something truly horrible must have happened on the surface, he shifted in his seat as he suppressed yet another stab of anxiety over his daughter’s safety. She was safe, he repeated to himself for the three hundredth time. She had to be.  
   
“Great Hera!” Diana cried as a blinding flash of light suddenly rent the darkness.  
   
Roy blinked painfully at the sudden burst of light, holding one hand up to shield his face. Distantly he heard voices and his heart soared as he recognized one of them. Batman!  
   
“ . . .have to explain exactly how you did that. Especially given your earlier statement about how dangerous it is.”  
   
As the room plunged back into darkness an accented voice—almost Irish but not quite— that Roy didn’t recognize answered, “Now is really not the time. Hello the house?”  
   
“We’re here.” Roy called, choking as he tried to draw in breath again.  
   
“Rao, the auxiliary systems never came on.” Roy heard Superman exclaim, horrified, “Miriam we need—  
   
“I’m on it.” Came the strained response.   
   
“Superman?” He tried again, but he’d sunk back down in the chair, dizzy from his sudden movement. Diana, who was less affected than he, put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
“Hera but we’re glad to see you.” And they could see. Roy glanced in the direction of the girl he presumed to be Miriam, the one with the accent. She was being trailed by a small ball of weird blue floating light that was now, thankfully—he was still seeing spots— the only light source in the room. Diana watched her hurry toward the consul. She looked back at Batman. “What is going on planet side?”  
   
“It’s a long story.” Batman said brusquely, as he gestured to the small group now huddled around the consul. “We’ll fill you in as soon as Miriam gets everything back on line.”  
   
Roy looked back to where the small group stood. While somewhat ineffectual, the weird light lit the surrounding darkness enough that Roy was able to make out the forms of Superboy and Robin and another that he didn’t recognize but thought that he should. He was trying to think where he’d seen the man before when the sprawling mass of tattoos that covered Miriam’s back and arms caught his attention. He’d never seen anything quite like them—they reminded him a bit of Grace’s actually, but seemed to be one huge pattern rather than just several small ones. He’d always wanted to get a tattoo, something really novel. He’d thought about some of the designs from the reservation but ultimately he’d decided that he’d had enough of needles. Besides Ollie was always saying that it was best to have as few distinguishing marks as possible . . . and why was he thinking about tattoos? He groaned quietly and tried to heave himself upright again but Diana increased the pressure on his shoulder keeping him sitting.  
   
“Stay still Roy. Once we’ve got the air back—  
   
Roy blinked as a surge of power coursed through the room, for a moment it looked like the weird blue ball of light had exploded but when he looked again he saw that the consul itself seemed to be glowing. Neat, the consul does magic tricks, he thought giddily. Maybe Zantanta taught it. He’d always thought that Zee was hot. He shook his head, trying to breathe but he must have blacked out for a moment, because he came back to himself in time to see Batman sweep toward the small group.  
“How long?” his ominous growl carried well in the hush of the station.  
   
“I’m working as fast as I can Batman.” Came the terse reply.     
   
“Work faster.”  
   
Roy shivered at the look she threw over her shoulder but Batman just crossed his arms under his cape and waited. The man next to her frowned deeply and said something to her that he couldn’t hear. A few minutes—well he though it was just a few minutes it was getting hard to . . .and thinking was never one of his…something…or that was what…somebody was always saying. He shook himself again as he felt a gust of air blow through the room. He inhaled deeply and then bent double coughing as his lungs contracted violently. Finally he sat just, breathing for a moment until he felt his head clear. “Oh. Wow.” He blinked a few times clearing his vision.” When his eyes opened again he was greeted by the worried face a of an Amazon princess.  
   
“Roy?”  
   
“I’m ok.” He said, shaking his head slightly, his ears were ringing. “I’m good.” He nodded to her and she backed up a few steps. He glanced around the room and asked, “So, um does somebody want to tell me what going on?”   
   
The group glanced at tattoo girl—Miriam—but she just shook her head not taking her eyes of the screen, and waved to indicate that some one else would have to do it.  
   
Superman sighed and then launched into a bizarre explanation about Viruses and anti-viruses and scarily intelligent teenagers. Shit, he’d never been this much trouble when he was a kid. Well, not most of the time, he amended.  
   
“So let me get this strait,” he interrupted, “She made some kick ass virus, that is going to end the world if we don’t get the anti-virus—which she also made—up and running?”  
   
“Um, something like that.” Superman said, glancing over at where Miriam’s hands were flying over the keys.  
   
Diana was watching the hunched form at the computer, who had paused momentarily to have a sotto voice argument with the scrawny man standing next to her—which, he belatedly realized, was Bruce’s boyfriend, Jay O’Connell. Finally he heaved a sigh and moved towards where Superman and Batman were standing with himself and Diana.  
   
“Well?” Batman asked, but his tone was not the usual cold and distant tone that Roy had come to associate with the Bat. He’d met Bruce Wayne the playboy a few times, and god hadn’t that been a trip, but it wasn’t the tone that he’d used then either. It was . . .solicitous? Gentle? Roy shook his head, wondering if the lack of oxygen had caused any damage.  
   
Jay gave him a sardonic look that radiated his own dissatisfaction with Bats, “She says to tell you that if you don’t leave her the fuck alone she’s going to make you think that you’re a four year old girl with a doll fetish. And I’ll thank you to remember the conversation we had prior to coming here.”   
   
Batman’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t reply. The silence turned awkward until Diana turned to Bruce’s boyfriend and held out a hand, “Hi. I’m Diana of Themascara. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  
   
He seemed taken aback by the courtesy but he stuck his hand out as well and shook, “Jay. Pleasure. Sorry about the unannounced visit.”  
   
“We’re glad you came.” She smiled easily, “So how did you boys get up here, Anyway? Boom tube?”  
   
“That’s a good— Batman began but Jay cut him off, shooting Batman a look that Roy couldn’t decipher.  
   
“Yes something like that.”  
   
Diana raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “So what’s the plan now?” She asked instead.  
   
“M’s going to get the systems here back to full power and then we’re going to use the JLA system to bring the rest of the Nation’s computers back on line—  
   
He was interrupted as Miriam laughed; they turned and found her speaking in animated Russian to a man with bushy eyebrows and too much nose. She nodded to him and then the screen went blank. “Ok people we’ve got Russia coming back on line. Should only take a couple more—ah there we go.” Russia, on a map that she had pulled up on one of the other monitors, lit up. They could also see portions of America lighting up as systems came back on line around the country. Miriam nodded, “Ok, good.” She pulled up yet another screen and another face flashed up.  
   
“It that Randal Savage?” Superman asked incredulously  
   
“Hi Randal.” Miriam called in greeting.  
   
“Good morning.” He greeted her solemnly, a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. “I take it I have you to thank for my still functioning system?”  
   
“You know it.” She grinned, “And I’m not even going charge you extra, but I am going to need the use of you system while I get the rest of South East Asia back on line.  
   
“Of course.” He agreed. Glancing past her and noting the knot of superheros behind her, one eyebrow rose. “I hadn’t realized you were affiliated.”  
   
“I’m not.” She replied. “I’m just maintenance.”  
   
“Ah.”  
   
“You work for Randal Savage?” Superman asked, clearly scandalized.  
   
Miriam shrugged unconcernedly. “I work for anyone who can pay me Superman.”  
   
“But, but Randal Savage is a murder and a madman.”  
   
“But I pay well.” Randal noted with a smirk.  
   
Miriam glanced back at the screen, a sardonic smile on her face. “You’re not helping. Ok, we’re clear, Randal don’t touch your system until I send through, ok?”  
   
“Certainly.”  
   
As Miriam killed the connection and moved to bring up another window, Superman challenged, “Miriam, how can you work for a man like Randal Savage? I thought you were working to help people?”  
   
“I am helping people, Randal Savage is still a person, Superman. I long ago abdicated any role in dictating right and wrong to other people. Because I suck at it. All I do is security; I’m not giving him weapons of mass destruction—  
   
“You did make this virus though?” Roy asked  
   
Miriam turned and Roy froze, it was the first time that he’d gotten a good look at her beyond the tattoos. He shifted nervously, as she regarded him, eyes hard, for a moment. “I don’t know you.” She said quietly, “And you weren’t there for my little speech so I’ll let that slide.”  
   
“Miriam tried to destroy the virus after she’d realized what it could do,” Robin explained as Miriam turned, stiff backed, and began working once more. Roy watched as Jay placed a comforting hand on Miriam’s shoulder and shot him a dirty look that was mirrored by Conner.   “Someone made an unregistered copy.”  
   
Roy nodded, turning his attention away from the clearly pissed of kid at the computer and toward Batman and Wonder Woman who were watching different portions of the map light up. Wonder Woman glanced at him, shaking her head slightly as if to say “let it go.” He glanced at Batman but if her working for Randal Savage, or her attitude bothered him, his frozen posture didn’t show it. But then again, it wouldn’t  
   
“Miriam.” Batman asked, “Is there anyway to trace the virus back to the original launch site?”  
   
“Yes, I’m attempting to do so now that we have most of the countries coming back up.” Roy could hear the obvious relief in her voice and felt a pang of guilt. She was clearly upset about her role in all this, even if she hadn’t seemed overly contrite. And really, he ought to be the last person to hold someone’s past against them.  
   
“Superman, most of Western Europe’s power hubs are on closed circuits, I’m going to need you to head back down with either Batman or Robin and bring them up manually.”  
   
Roy wondered if she’d picked him so that he’d leave her alone, but he couldn’t detect any malice in her words. Superman nodded beckoning for Robin to join him. They headed toward the now functioning Slideways Door and vanished out of sight. Once they were gone Jay moved toward Batman and began speaking in low tones, but he gestured toward Roy enough times for him to figure out what the topic of conversation was. Roy shifted his gaze but Conner’s expression was hardly more welcoming. “I guess I’ll just go double check that everything is, um, is running ok.” He offered vaguely as he began heading out the door, eager to be some where other than a room full off people that were pissed as hell at him.  
   
* *   *  
   
Conner watched Red Arrow go and snorted. Jackass, he called after him mentally and then turned back towards Miriam.  
   
“Screw him M.” He offered, “We know you didn’t mean for this to happen.”  
   
She glanced up and gave him a tight smile and then sighed, her shoulders slumping, “He didn’t really mean anything by it.” She offered, “He wasn’t being hostile, in fact I think he was trying to be funny, it just . . .touched a nerve.”  
   
Conner nodded sympathetically, he remembered the whole fiasco with his Lex Luthor/Superman DNA. Ugh. Being reminded of what you were capable of was not always a pleasing experience.   “So how much more do we have to go?”  
   
She glanced back at the screen. “We’re running about 67% complete. I’m starting the trace but the attack seems to have been sequential so we won’t be able to find the source until we get everything back on line.”  
   
“Miriam?”  
   
“Go ahead Robin.”  
   
“We’re at the Hub, and we’ve got it running again.”  
   
“Copy that.”  
   
“Batman,” Superman called, “See if you can locate J’onn, I still can contact him.”  
“Affirmative.” Batman moved to the consul and began punching in tracer codes, “I show him in the Gobi.”  
   
Superman’s brow furrowed, “Do you think he’s injured?”  
   
Batman was silent for a moment, “His trace shows nothing wrong but it could have been taken off him.”  
   
“Who is this J’onn person?” Miriam asked.  
   
“He’s our resident Physic, he’s not currently on the team, but normally when electronic communications fail we can contact him with a mental shout but we’ve unable to raise him.” Superman explained.  
   
Miriam’s eyes flickered slightly and then she gasped, “Oh no. No, no, no, no.” She groaned, eyes wide and panicked, “Her hands flew to the keyboard and screens flashed by at a nearly incomprehensible speed.  
“M?” Jay asked hesitantly, M what’s wrong.”  
   
“Oh Goddess this isn’t happening. He, he wouldn’t! Not even he could be that stupid.”  
   
“Miriam!” Batman barked, “Explain.”  
   
“There is,” She struggled, clearly having difficulty with the English, “There is a mental block—it is a spell that prevents physic communication. Your friend J’onn is very likely unaware that there even is a problem.”  
   
“How? Wait— wouldn’t he sense that?” Superman asked  
   
“No,” Miriam shook her head, “I didn’t until just now when I tried to contact him. It’s, the block—oh goddess, the block is what I based Vermilion off of. It keeps a kind of mental background noise going so that a psychic doesn’t notice the interference until she’s been cut off. Until the spell is broken no such communication is possible. It is—the Queen has to be doing this, there isn’t anyone else who could craft a spell like this! This is Elvin magic.”  
   
“They’re trying to break the wards.”  
   
It wasn’t a question but Miriam nodded at Robin anyway, “They must be—  
   
Miriam was cut off as a beep sounded; they all glanced up to see a red dot located on the Northwest face of wails. Miriam closed her eyes; her breathing erratic and Jay took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze before looking back at the rest of them. “How much raw iron do you kids have kicking around here?” He asked.  
   
*   *   *  
   
They were gathered once more in the monitor room. Jay, along with Robin, was sketching an outline for the rest of the group; explain just what, exactly, was going on. As her position in all of this was reveled the group glanced at her from time to time; depending on the individual, the looks ranged from piteous to calculating to disgusted. Jay was trying to be as gracious as possible, trying to shield her and undoubtedly himself, from the worst of it. But there was no way that he could skim over the torture of her mother and her subsequent slaughter of her tribe. But really there was no way that he could convey with mere words the absolute terror of what Elves really were. Not to a people so far removed from that racial memory.    
   
Miriam sat numbly in her chair and tried not to think about anything. Tried not to exist. Gareth was behind this. She’d nodded along with Jay’s explanation about her hypothesis.  As she half listened to him explain Gareth’s possible roll in all of this, her mind, quite against her will, drew out the horrifying array of possible ramifications. The Queen had seduced his mind all those years ago and he was still hers. Damn it but she should have realized. She ran a hand through her hair, tugging on the ends. How could she have been so stupid as to leave him free? But to whom would she have given him? The counsel? Had they gotten past their prejudices toward her and allowed themselves to be convinced that it was he, their beloved leader, who was responsible for her birth and thus doomed to death along with her, they couldn’t have killed him. Even if they acted in concert they weren’t powerful enough. She could have done it herself. She glanced down at her hands, hands that were soaked in more blood than she would allow herself to think about. No, no she couldn’t have done it. She’d taken too many lives already, to go down that path, to sit logically and make a choice— she shuddered, no she just couldn’t. But now, if the Queen was able to breach the wards and reenter, this world would fall like puppets at her feet. And it would be her fault, because she hadn’t done what needed doing.   
   
Miriam glanced up as someone placed a hand on her shoulder and found herself looking into the kind eyes of Wonder Woman. “How are you doing?” She asked gently.  
   
“I’m,” her voice broke and she cleared her throat and tried again, “This is my greatest nightmare come true.” She confessed honestly, “I—I don’t know what to do.”  
   
Wonder Woman squeezed her shoulder, “You are among friends. You needn’t act alone.”  
   
Miriam blinked glancing around the room, when she began really listening to just what they were planning.   They were talking about mounting a siege against Gareth. Her eyes went wide and she felt a stab of panic in her gut. Oh, no. Goddess no! They’d get themselves killed. Or worse.    She would not let them die. No more dead. “No.” She said, in alarm and then more loudly, “NO.”  
   
The room stopped and they turned towards her. She stood, “You can’t attack them. If there really are Elves down there then the moment you set foot anywhere near them they’ll have you.”  
   
She expected them to contradict her, and she was not disappointed. Batman narrowed his eyes, “We understand that dangers that we face—  
   
“No you don’t. You can’t.” She interrupted quietly. “You have no idea what they’re really capable of.” She glanced at Jay who looked like he wanted to say something and then reconsidered. She smiled softly, “Jay was trying to be nice. He didn’t really explain what they—we are.”  
   
“They are highly powerful psychics, capable of manipulating an individual’s mind and coercing him into acting contrary to his true desire.” Batman rattled off, “I’ve been given to understand that Iron—  
   
“If you were to wear sufficient enough iron to protect yourself from the Queen you would be unable to move.” She glanced a Superman. “He might be able to.”  
   
“I am immune to mind manipulation.” Wonder Woman spoke up.  
   
Miriam glanced at her; and blinked in surprise. “So you are. How—  
   
“Now is not the time.” Batman redirected, “So that’s two. Three including yourself.”  
   
“I’m going.” Jay said.  
   
“What? Jay no!” Miriam cried in panic; her sentiment if not her tone was echoed by Batman.  
   
Jay ignored both of them, “I’m linked to you mentally, my mind is as immune as yours and I’m going M, you’re going to need somebody to ground you.” He held up his hands to both of them as they began to protest again, “If you go I go. End of story.”  
   
“Someone should go for J’onn.” Robin said into the sudden silence, “He’ll be able to hold his own.”  
   
Superman nodded. “I’ll go.” And was gone in a blur of red and blue.  
   
“I’ll stay here and maintain the upload of the anti-virus.” Batman said, his voice tight, he hadn’t taken his eyes off Jay. “Miriam will they be able to cut electronic communications?”  
   
“No. They won’t even know what they are.”  
   
“Good.” He passed out communicators to herself and Jay. “This will keep you in touch with the rest of the team. If you need extraction,” he was looking at Jay, again, clearly unhappy, “Call immediately and we’ll be able to send rescue to your location.  
   
“Babe,” Jay murmured quietly, “We talked about this. I’ll be fine. You and I both know that I can . . . handle myself.”  
   
Miriam bit her lip but didn’t say anything; instead she turned to find Superman returned with . . . “Wow. What on earth are you supposed to be?”  
   
The giant green man in front of her chuckled, his low baritone soothing, “I am a Martian.”  
   
“Oh. Of course you are.” She said weakly.  
   
He smiled warmly and extends one large, green hand. “I am J’onn Jonzz.”  
   
Miriam smiled in spite of herself, “Miriam.”  
   
“I filled him in along the way.” Superman explained.  
   
“Oh.” She blinked, turning away from the strange red eyes, “Good.” Miriam cleared her throat, and turned to address the group, noticing that the red Robin Hood guy had returned at some point, “Ok.” She forced herself to think past the fear and rage that churned in her gut. She took a deep breath, “There are a several more things you need to know if you are bent on doing this.” She shook her head at them, “And I am strongly opposed to any of you going.” She glared at them, “Elves are not human. They are cruel and unfeeling. They will play with you until you bore them and then they will have you kill yourself for them in some amusing fashion.” She watched their eyes. And she could see they didn’t understand, not really. Only Jay, who had lived in her head as she had in his, she had to make this real to them.  
   
She felt Jay’s anxiety and forced herself not to respond. She glanced at Batman but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not Bruce. He’d had too many people mess with his mind. She wouldn’t join that list. Instead she turned to Superman. kal-el, she whispered into his brain, Come. Superman jerked forward, and then glided towards her.  
   
“You summoned me my lady?” He asked, his voice so sycophantic that it made Miriam wince. It had been years since she’d done this. She couldn’t look at Robin or Jay but she saw the frown form on Batman’s face and the shocked and worried look on the Amazon’s.   
   
She looked around the room; she forced herself to meet their eyes. “I could make him kill all of you.” She said quietly, “I could make you let him.” She slipped into the mind of the man who had hurt her, whose cold words has stuck so close to the truth, Roy Harper she wriggled invisible fingers into his mind, “Would you die for me Roy Harper?”   
   
“Yes.” He breathed. Again the response was without hesitation. There was no sign of a struggle; Roy sagged to his knees, prostrating himself in front of her. She looked back at Superman, “I could have him kill himself. Would you do that for me?” She asked the man standing in front of her.  
   
“Of course.” He replied without hesitation, “Do you wish me to?”  
   
“No.” She shuddered slightly, “You have to understand.” She pressed forcefully. “That if the queen gets controls of one of you, any of you, there will be no coming back. There will be no rescue by the cavalry. No one and nothing will be able to break her hold. Your mind will be eternally hers.” She looked away and Superman blinked.  
   
“Oh Rao.” He said quietly, backing up quickly.  
   
Roy shoved himself back up, his face stricken as he too backed quickly away.  
   
She looked between the two of them, her eyes hard. “Tell them.”  
   
Superman shook his head, but whether it was in denial or in shock wasn’t clear, Roy’s voice broke the silence, “I would have done it.” He sounded stunned, and very scared, “I would have done anything.”  
   
Miriam nodded, “Yes. You would have.”  
   
“The iron will protect against that.” Batman reasserted but for those that knew him, doubt could be heard on the edge of the words.  
   
“As I said, you couldn’t wear enough iron to keep the Queen out. The Lesser Elves yes, but not Her. And we really can’t afford to take the chance. I think it would be best if you stayed here.” She said honestly, looking at Superman, “If She got hold of you . . .  
   
Superman nodded slowly, “I think you might be right.”  
   
Miriam sighed, knowing that she was just going to have to accustom herself to the look of fear in their eyes. She turned to the Martian who was standing quietly off to one side, “Mr. Jonzz?”  
   
“Please, call me J’onn. And yes, I think it best if we try to test it here rather than on the field of battle.”  
   
She nodded once, hating herself and slipped into his mind. Or she tired. She came up against a shield rather reminiscent of her own and her hopes rose. She tested the limits trying to find a way in. Finally she withdrew, nodding, “Good. Very good.”  
   
He was watching her, but there was only curiosity in the warm red eyes, no sign of the fear or rancor that she’d felt so often when displaying this particular talent. Then she remembered: physic. She grinned, “Well that makes two, plus myself and Jay.”  
   
“Are you sure Jay is immune?” Batman asked.  
   
Jay placed a hand on his shoulder and said quietly, “Yes. She’s sure.”  
   
“Alright.” Diana spoke up, “I think it’s time we were on our way. Batman you will stay here and coordinate our efforts?” Batman nodded stiffly, his eyes still on Jay.   
   
“There is one more thing . . .” Miriam offered resignedly, “Where we’re going I’m considered an abomination. The council of my tribe, well they very well may try to kill me if we run into them. My biological father, the man that Jay was telling you about is their leader, while they can’t control minds they are extremely powerful sorcerers—  
   
Superman’s eyes went wide, “Wait. Why on earth would they try to kill you?”  
   
Miriam looked at him surprised, “You mean besides killing an untold number of our people?’  
   
“But that wasn’t— Robin began but Miriam cut him off with a gesture.  
   
“Yes,” Batman asked. “Aside from that.”  
   
“Breeding between Elves and Humans is forbidden, any offspring of such a union is consider an abomination and its life as well as the life of the human who trespassed is forfeit.”  
   
“But,” Superman replied, clearly confused, “You said that your father was their leader?”  
   
“They don’t know who my father is. And they wouldn’t believe me if I told them, my word not meaning anything.” Miriam was surprised at how bland her voice sounded. Clearly Tim was rubbing off.  
   
“How awful.” Diana breathed, clearly repulsed by the idea.  
   
Miriam shrugged, “You’ve seen what I can do. Elves are dangerous but stupid. Humans are intelligent but weak. You put them together . . .  
   
“Regardless the child of such a union should not be punished for the sins of her parents.” J’onn remarked.  
   
Miriam felt a pulse of gratitude for the alien but all she said was, “We can debate the merits of the law latter. I just wanted to warn you that there will be sorcery as well as mind control as work. Be ready.”  
   
“We will.” J’onn reassured her.  
   
“So can you take us back down through the Gate now that the barn door is already open?” Jay asked  
   
Miriam nodded, “I don’t see why not, it’s not like they won’t know where I am soon enough.”  
   
“Gate?” Diana asked  
   
Batman crossed his arms over his chest, “I thought so. So you open Gates even after the little speech you gave us?”  
   
Miriam tossed her head, “Well I know how to do it properly.”  
   
“So why didn’t we just do that in the first place?” Batman growled  
   
“Because they can track her when she opens them.” Jay replied tersely, “Now calm the hell down.” There was an audible gasp from Roy and Conner. Batman stiffened, opened his mouth and then shut it, looking sullen. Jay chuckled softly and said something that Miriam couldn’t hear but seemed to mollify things.  
   
Diana was frowning, “They? You mean this council that you spoke of?”  
   
“Yes. Gates require a huge outpouring of power. If they were listening for me then they’d be able to find me. I’ve been trying to keep a low profile over the years, but it rather moot at this point.”  
   
“Fair enough. Shall we go?”  
   
In response a vertical slash of light appeared opposite them and began to expand outward. Beyond the light was a pulsating crimson color. Miriam gestured for Jay and the other’s to precede her and once they had stepped through, the light winked out and the bloody light swallowed them.  
   
“This is the bleed.” Miriam explained, “It’s the artery wall between worlds.”   
   
 Another vertical slash appeared and beyond they could see the verdant hills of Wales, covered in a profusion of wildflowers, brambles and undergrowth. Once through Diana glanced around, “Will they know that we’re here?”  
   
Miriam shook her head. “I brought us inside the wards. We shouldn’t have tripped anything but be on your guard. You just never know with Elves.”  
   
“Batman.” Rumbled J’onn, “We are through and starting toward the launch site of the virus.”  
   
“Acknowledged.” Came batman’s tinny response over the communicators. “I show activity on the site,” he warned, “They have most likely discovered the Virus reversal.”  
   
“The lights coming back up might have tipped them off.” Jay pointed out as he began walking. Miriam moved to take the lead, directing them off the worn path and into the denser scrub. The others followed in silence, glancing about them frequently. They walked in relative peace for roughly twenty minutes until Miriam gestured for them to halt. She squatted down in the underbrush, and peered through a gap in the leaves. Her audible gasp startled the others who glanced down at her in alarm.  
   
“I—I don’t recognized any of those people.” Miriam hissed as the others scrambled so that they could see through the foliage as well.  
   
“Fuck.” Jay swore quietly and the others glanced at him questioningly, “It looks like Ra’s.”  
   
“Jay, repeat that.” Batman broke into their conversation.  
   
“I can’t be sure.” He whispered, risking another glanced out, “But it looks like his colors. You’d know better than I would.”  
   
“It is definitely him, Batman.” J’onn spoke up in a muted rumble. “Suggestions?”  
   
“Who is Ra’s?” Miriam asked, still watching the large group gathered around the entrance to her village.  
   
“He’s an eco terrorist.” Batman explained, “Bent on returning the world to it most natural and pristine condition and willing to use any means necessary.”  
   
“Great God, that’s practically the Queen’s motto. At least that explains why he’s here, he must be working with Gareth.”  
   
“Agreed. Proceed with extreme caution.”  
   
“They’re only human.” Miriam answered distractedly, “Humans I can han—Pain flared in her head, and then everything went black.

Day Break:  
Chapter Four  
   
 “Miriam!”   
   
Diana spun, ignoring the exclamation from Batman, as she slammed her fist into the face of the man who had just pistol-whipped Miriam. On the edge of her vision she noted that the girl had slumped forward into the underbrush and Jay was rushing to her side. J’onn was already shifting, increasing his bulk to block them from further attack, as the remaining six launched themselves at them. Their shouts, and the exchange of blows brought reinforcements and soon they were surrounded. Jay held an unconscious Miriam in his arms, she and J’onn shielding them between them. Diana glanced around quickly, trying to find a means of escape; J’onn was sub vocalizing into his communicator, explaining the situation to their tactician. The grim silence on the other end of the line didn’t bode well for them.  
   
One part of the circle parted as Ra’s Algoul himself strode forward, his gray green eyes furious. “Is this your doing?” He demanded, “Years of work . . .” he sputtered off into furious silence as he caught sight of Miriam and Jay. His eyes went odd, “Is that her?” He glanced over his should as a man Diana had never seen before drew closer. As he drew level with Ra’s Diana could see the scars that crisscrossed his arms and chest, his shaggy blond hair hung in noisome clumps, and his clothes were ridiculously large on his skeletal frame. But it was his eyes that drew Diana gaze. They were empty, and unseeing. He was less a person than a piece of animated meat. His head turned and took in the sight of Jay holding Miriam protectively and Diana had to fight down a shiver at the hungry look that warmed those hollow eyes.  
   
“Bring her.” He croaked, his voice sounding cracked and broken. “We can use her to break the rest of the wards.  
   
“No.” Diana moved to block their view of the recumbent from. “You’re plans have failed Ra’s. It’s over.”  
   
The furry returned to Ra’s eyes, “Not this time princess.” He replied coldly, “Bring her.”  The circled started to move forward and Diana readied herself to fight when the advancing figures froze momentarily. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Jay was holding a gun. The Assassins, who were armed only with swords, hesitated momentarily against the long-range weapon.   
   
“You can’t have her.” Jay said fiercely.  
   
“Agreed.” J’onn replied swelling again. His punch took out two of the figures, who went sailing back into the underbrush. Diana dropped down and swept the legs out from under the two assassins nearest to her, pulling her lasso out as she surged back to her feet, she roped four more off as they advanced on Jay and Miriam. Jay took careful aim and fired repeatedly, his bullets wounding but not killing, and even in the midst of battle Diana smiled at Bruce’s influence.  
   
Suddenly the world exploded and Diana was thrown up and away from the circle, slamming back down to the earth. She struggled to get back to her feet, winded. There was a smoking crater near Jay and Miriam. J’onn lay on the ground next to them, his skin blistered from where he had obviously shielded them by throwing himself in the path of bolt. Gareth raised his arm and a second bolt of lighting followed, causing Jay to lung away dragging Miriam with him, but Ra’s threw out an arm and grabbed her, trying to yank her out of Jay’s hands. Jay roared furiously, digging in his heels and flipping the gun in his head and lashing out with the butt. Then Miriam began to stir and Gareth shrill screams cut through the din of battle. “Don’t let her wake up! DON’T LET HER WAKE UP! HIT HER AGAIN!   HIT HER AGAIN.”  
   
Miriam’s head snapped up and her eyes narrowed dangerously when she saw Gareth. In that moment Diana watched as dark, twisted pain contorted the girl’s features.  The sky began to grow suddenly black, the wind kicking up and rapidly increasing in speed. Miriam yanked herself free of a now motionless Ra’s, she looked at him, her body language radiating disgust, she gestured with one hand and Ra’s turned silently, his eyes still blank, and began walking. And then she turned to Gareth, who was backing quickly away.  “You killed my mother.” Her voice was a deadly whisper; it shouldn’t have been audible over the growing violence of the storm, but it was. It seemed to come from everywhere and the terrified look on Gareth’s face seemed, impossibly, to intensify. The Assassins left standing after the suddenly aborted battle began scrambling for cover, loped after the retreating form of Ra’s as random—or not so random—bolts of lighting chased them from the battlefield.   
   
The rapid flicker of lighting left Diana half blinded as she straightened up from her fighting crouch, but she had to strain to remain that way against the growing ferocity of the wind. Trees gowned horribly and clods of earth spattered her where the bolts had sent them flying. 

“I couldn’t find you, to kill you.” A massive tree behind Diana cracked the sound of splintering wood rent the air and she dove out of the way just as the massive tree was ripped from the soil and tossed about by the wind like a feather. She regained her feet in time to hear Gareth begging for his life. He was on his knees now, scrawny arms held up in supplication. The wind caught Miriam’s hair streaming it out behind her. The illusion that normally disguised her eleven features fell away; her alien eyes glowed in the gathering darkness. “I looked everywhere.”  
   
The wooden fence that surrounded the village in the distance shuddered and was torn away by the wind, posts slamming into the earth fifty to a hundred feet from their original location; driving themselves into the damp earth like nails from a nail gun. Revealed by the removal of the fence, the remaining group of assassins scattered, running for cover, one of the posts nearly impaling two of the stragglers.  
   
“You took her away from me.” Tears were sliding down Miriam’s face. “She was all I had and you took her.” Her voice broke on a sob and the winds screamed over the plains and lighting flashed in rapid-fire succession.  
   
Diana had been trying to move, fighting against the wind to get to Miriam before she killed Gareth. Miriam glanced up and her eyes flared, “No.”  
   
Diana was picked up bodily and thrown into the swirling winds, she was slammed back into the ground with the same force as the fence posts, and she felt herself being choked by turf and dirt. She scrambled back to her feet, spitting and coughing to see Miriam take the final step toward Gareth. It was too late. She knew it, but she force herself to move, getting low and digging her fingers into the earth to pull herself along when she saw the shadowy form of Jay appear behind Miriam in the eye of the storm. He spun her and the slap he landed across her face rang out like a gunshot. Miriam stood stock-still for three heartbeats, and Jay screamed at her, “You promised! No more!”  
   
 Suddenly, the world went silent. Trees, dirt and debris kicked up from the storm slammed back to earth. Diana fell forward roughly as the force she was fighting against suddenly went slack. She looked up to see Miriam turn, stiff backed, toward Gareth who was huddled up in a ball in front of her. She blinked several times. Her strange eyes still unnerving as her lip curled into a sneer, “I did promise.” She clenched and unclenched her fist at her side. “And you’re not important enough for me to break it.”  
   
“Nonsense.” A cold voice spoken into the overpowering stillness.  
   
They whirled to find a woman floating before them, her dress and hair roiling around her as if the wind still raged. She was icily beautiful, perfection at its coldest. Diana recognized her at once, because Miriam, with her strange alien eyes and pointed ears was her virtual twin.  
   
“You won’t do it because you can’t do it. You’re too weak.” The woman alighted on the ground, her proud gaze taking in their disheveled appearance. She glanced at Diana and a smirk curved her full lips. “Why an Amazon. I haven’t seen an Amazon in a Sprite’s age. Tell me,” She purred, as she drifted closer, “Do you still huddle on your little island, pretending to importance?”  
   
Diana opened her mouth to retort but Miriam cut her off, “Don’t. Talk. To. Her.” Her voice was rough and low, anger and fear edging her words.        
   
The woman threw back her head and laughed, it sent chills up and down Diana’s spine and she moved away from the sound and toward the prone form of J’onn. The Queen followed her movements and smirked again, “And what have we here?” She watched hungrily as Diana helped J’onn to sit up, “Such new and intriguing things Man now has to offer his Queen.”   
   
The Queen’s head jerked up and she rounded on Miriam and Jay who were some distance from Diana and J’onn   “Ah, ah, ah.” The Queen shook a long, pale finger at Miriam, who was mumbling under her breath. “There will be no sending me back, dear child. But I should thank you, after all it was you who originally weakened the wards enough that even a charlatan as pathetic as that creature could unbind them the rest of the way.”  
   
Miriam winced, her murmuring faltering and the Queen smiled archly. Her glance took in Gareth who raised one shaking, stick thing arm. “My . . .my Queen.” He gasped.  
   
Diana’s eyes went wide; he seemed to be wasting away before their very eyes. The skin over his face was drawn tight, outlining the ridges in his skull and cheekbones. Miriam glanced from him to the Queen, understanding lit her eyes. “You’re not really here.” She breathed. “Not yet. You’re using him as a stepping-stone. A Bridge. But it won’t work for long.” Miriam circled closer, Jay tailing her. “And you have to know that. He doesn’t have Elvin blood. And when he dies, you’ll be bound, just like you were before.”  
   
The Queen sneered, taking a step forward, and Diana realized that Miriam was trying to keep her from getting to close to J’onn. “J’onn.” She whispered.  
   
“I am well Diana.” J’onn replied quietly. “But this Queen . . .” he shook his head, “She is like a parasite.  I can feel it from here. Miriam was too gentle with me I fear. The Queen will be able to break through my shields simply because she will not hesitate to damage me. We cannot allow that to happen.”  
   
Diana nodded, listening. “Didn’t you hear me child?  I’ll be through soon enough, while you and your,” She turned her gaze on Jay, “pet may be able to keep me out, but” she glanced back at Diana and J’onn and her lips curled up into a icy smile, “Not everyone can.”  
   
J’onn went stiff in her arms, “No!” She shouted, shaking J’onn, “No J’onn, fight it! Fight it!”  
   
Miriam’s eyes went wide and she and Jay ran toward them, “But . . .but—his shields.”  
   
“J’onn?” Diana asked worriedly  
   
“Fighting her.” He grounded out, “Too strong. Can’t.”  
   
The Queen laughed her quicksilver laugh again, “that’s right little Martian.” She purred, “My race was leaning the secrets of the mind when yours was just pulling itself up out of the dirt.” She sneered, “Not that any of you have come very far.”  
   
“Gareth.” Miriam shouted, “We have to—he’s her bridge if we can disrupt the spell—” The Queen thrust out a hand and Miriam was launched backwards but caught herself, hovering in midair eyes darkly dangerous. “That’s it! Jay come with me, we need to find the circle. Diana, help him.” She cried anxiously as she dropped to the ground and began sprinting away, Jay just behind her.”  
   
“Fight it J’onn.” She chanted, “You can do this. They’ve gone to disrupt the spell. You have to fight it.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
“Bruce you cannot go down there.” Superman argued fiercely as Batman began checking his belt. “You didn’t feel what it’s like. You’ll just endanger them more.”  
   
Robin rolled his eyes as Batman grunted in response. “It’s been over half and hour with no word. I’m going Clark, stay if you want to but we need to know what’s going on. If they’ve failed then we have to pick up where they’ve left off.” His voice was under iron control. He didn’t even allow a hint of the emotion that was roaring inside him to enter his voice.  
   
“Then let me go!” Robin said again, “I’m the only other person who’s head she’s been in. It might afford me more of chance than—  
   
“Batschfff do you schfff repeat J’onn is schff attack Mschff and schff  schfffffff try—  
   
“Diana!” Batman barked into the receiver, whirling back toward the consul. “Computer switch to emergency channel 064.”  
   
“I repeat J’onn is under mental attack by the Queen, Miriam and Jay have gone to try and disrupt the system giving her access to this plane do you copy?”  
   
“We copy Diana.”  
   
“Thank Hera.” Bruce winced internally at the sound of her voice. He knew Diana, and it took a great deal to bring that amount of relief into her tone.  
   
“J’onn’s status?”  
   
“He’s holding his own right now but it’s not looking good.”  
   
“Can we ’port them up?” Conner asked.  
   
“Negative.” Batman countered, “If J’onn’s mind is under attack such an action might break his concentration long enough for them to get through.” Batman’s gloved fingers punched through a series of keystrokes. “Diana I am unable to lock on to your location. Please advise.”  
   
“Miriam said that she brought us in under the wards, they probably block teleportation access.”  
   
“Confirmed. Miriam?”  
   
“She’s busy at the moment.” Jay’s voice answered pleasantly, “Can I take a message?”  
   
Bruce closed his eyes behind the cowl briefly as he offered up a pray of thanks to anyone who was listening. “Jay! Status!”  
   
“We’re trying to break into the room where we think the circle is located, but it’s warded pretty heavily and it’s taking M a bit to get through, how’s green guy holding up?”  
   
“Not well. Estimate time until you’re through?”  
   
“Um, not really sure. S’not really an exact science.”  
   
“Jay.” Batman growled.  
   
Jay chuckled, making Bruce’s heart constrict in his chest. “Easy kiddo, we’ll be through when we’re through.”  
   
“Ryan!”  
   
“Jay?” Batman asked over the link at the sound of Miriam’s unexpected exclamation in the background.  
   
“Ah, hold on.” Jay answered, confusion in his voice, “There’s somebody slumped over in a chair in the room.”  
   
“Did you find the circle?” Robin asked.  
   
“I don’t see one in here, but there’s another door, hold on—M do you know this guy?”  
   
Miriam’s voice could be heard distantly, “His name is, was Ryan Sanders, we—he was from First Strike.”    
   
“Ah, well that explains the last bit of the puzzle then. What’s with the gloves?”  
   
“He always wore them.” Miriam’s voice sounded sad, “He was burned in a fire, chemical burns. He, well he blamed everyone really, but by the time I left he’d become fixated on the idea that progress was to blame. He’d gone on a King Author bend and seemed to think that nothing like that could have happened in the “days of old.” I always felt so sorry for him. I’d wanted to help but this close? I didn’t dare.”  
   
“Jay, get her moving, we don’t have time for this.” Batman growled into the link, causing Jay to chuckle again.  
   
“Come on kiddo,” Jay said gently, “We’ve got another door to tackle. And when I say we I mean you, ’casue I’m about as magically gifted as a shoe.”  
   
Miriam laughed weakly. “Right.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
Diana watch, horrified, as the Queen floated over them, gloating. She had lost interest in Diana, after She had realized that Diana was immune to mind control as well as to magic. Her cold eyes were on J’onn now, where he thrashed painfully on the ground. Diana sought for something she could use against the Queen. She’d already taken a swing at her, but she wasn’t corporeal enough for Diana to make contact. She glanced over at where Gareth lay motionless on the ground, his chest rising and falling in erratic patters. She thought back on what Miriam had said about Elves. Stupid but powerful. Suddenly she asked, “What do you know of Themascira?”  
   
The Queen glanced over, her cat like eyes narrowing slightly, and J’onn’s thrashing dipped ever so slightly in intensity. “Beyond that you are children playing at being Gods?” She tossed her head, her magnificent hair swirling around her in irritation. “You know nothing of true power.” Her lip curled, “None of you do. But when I regain this world,” Her eyes flashed, and she spread her arms, power crackling faintly along them, “I will show you what true power is.” She looked Diana over. “I think I shall keep you as a pet. You’re pretty enough.”  
   
Diana got to her feet, stepping away from J’onn and taking the Queen’s attention with her. “I am an Amazon and we will never allow you to rule us.” She said proudly, not having to work very hard to imitate the Queen’s arrogant tone.  
   
The Queen threw back her head and laughed, the sound still chilling, “You poor, stupid child. You’ve come to believe your own lies. How very pathetic.” She gestured grandly toward the shuddering form of Gareth, “Not even this idiot could withstand me, even with all his spells and amulets of protection—even his iron was no match for me. How do you, an overgrown girl plan to stop me?” She drifted closer he eyes darkly amused, “Tell me. How will you defeat me while your sisters” her lip curled on the word, “crawl about my feet, mewling for my attention. Begging for just one touch from my hand. I will drink in their power and they will beg to die for me.”  
   
“You underestimate us! This is not the world you left all those millennia ago.”  
   
“No.” The Queen snorted, “It is infinitely weaker. You rely on dolts in garish costumes. The common human is less a threat to me today than ever before. You have grown complacent, just as I knew you would. And now I’m back.”  
   
Diana watched as the Queen flickered oddly, her body seeming to phase in and out and her heart soared. She glanced covertly toward Gareth whose chest was struggling with each breath. Diana knew the sound of a death rattle when she heard one. Gareth was not long for this world.  
   
*   *   *  
   
“Great Goddess, just look at this.” Miriam groused as she edged around the bloody lines of the incantation circle. Her face lit by the faintly glowing lines. “The idiot is powering it with his own blood.”  
   
“And that’s bad.”   
   
Miriam snorted, “It’s suicidal, is what it is. Gareth always did have an elevated option of himself.”  
   
“Oh. Oooo-kay. Well can you, um, break it?”  
   
Miriam squinted at the circle; it flickered feebly and then went out. Her shoulders sagged, “I won’t have to. Come on.”  
   
*   *   *  
The Queen was in full swing now, she’d been lecturing Diana on the futility of the Amazon’s resistance, clearly enjoying herself, when She stopped mid-sentence, her whole body shuddering. “No!” She wailed, whirling back toward the now still from of J’onn. “No, NO!” She flicked once more and then she was gone.  
   
Diana sighed with relief and hurried over to J’onn. “Batman?”  
   
“Here Diana, report.”  
   
“The Queen is gone. Gareth is dead. She didn’t get through to J’onn but,” She shook J’onn gently, no response. “J’onn is unresponsive.”  
   
“Understood. Jay?”  
   
“Yeah we’re here.”  
   
“We need to evacuate J’onn.”  
   
“Is he ok?” Miriam’s voice sounded anxious over the link.  
   
“We don’t know.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
Miriam sat by J’onn’s bedside, watching. He’d been unresponsive for the last twenty-four hours. After she’d convinced everyone, with Robin and Jay’s help, that no, really she didn’t sleep, she’d been left alone with him, as the heroes raced of to do . . .whatever it was heroes did, presumably. There was still a lot of damage to work through from the prolonged power outages. Looting and riots and whatnot and she assumed they’d gone to lend aid. After she’d powered down her own network, handing the reigns back to each of the respective systems rightful owners, she’d sent Jay back to Arkhum to look after things there. He’d fussed but she’d been firm. She just need time to . . .to think. Robin had given her a worried look as he’d left with Batman and Conner, but she’d waved him off. She didn’t really relish having to try and retell the story. She knew that Diana had given a full account so their was no need really, Batman would be sure to fill in his young protégé.  
   
She’d nearly killed him. She would have if Jay hadn’t stopped her. She shivered; she wasn’t so very different from the people she treated everyday. She’d known that, intellectually, but it was an entirely different feeling to have it demonstrated. She’d have to go back down and check on the village again. She needed to strengthen the wards, properly. Clearly, she snorted quietly, her slap dash job done after the second Crisis hadn’t been nearly sufficient. But to do it properly it would require the entire council. They couldn’t hurt her, certainly not now that Gareth was gone, . . .but she didn’t know if they’d consent to work with her either, even if it was for a common goal.   
   
She lifted her eyes and was shocked to see J’onn looking back at her. She felt the last of the tension singing through her let go. “Good morning.” She offered tentatively. “I know that I’m probably not the face you wanted to wake up to but the others are off—  
   
He nodded, frowning softly, “Is the spell gone?”  
   
“Wha—oh you mean the one letting the Queen in? Yeah”  
   
“Good.”  
   
“I’mreallysorryJ’onnIshouldneverhaveletyoucome.” She said in a rush.  
   
But J’onn shook his head, “You warned us.” He rumbled quietly, his deep baritone helping to sooth her jangled nerves, “It is not your fault in the least.”  
   
Miriam nodded, taking the out and slumped back in her chair. “So how are you feeling?”  
J’onn sat up and stretched hesitantly and then Miriam felt the equivalent of a mental nock and she smiled, allowing him in to her thoughts. You are too hard on yourself Miriam O’Connell if not for you we would have lost this day  
   
If not for me this day wouldn’t have been possible  
   
Miriam felt the impression of a hand waved dismissively the man Gareth acted of his own volition he would have continued his work had the virus existed or no. You are not to blame Miriam.  
   
Miriam gave a mental snort, goddess you’re as bad as Jay  
   
She groaned as she felt his mental start of surprise. Psychics, true psychics, don’t use words to communicate. They use images and feelings to convey their meaning to another. And while Jay was just a word in a spoken language, in the language of the mind, he was a jumble of pictures and emotions. Love, a fall into a vat of acid, friendship, a man drowning on the edge of insanity, protectiveness, white skin and green curls, intelligence and humor, a heartfelt smile that lit up her heart. Please don’t tell anyone she begged.  
   
It is not my secret to tell… but you should be proud of this miracle that you have wrought  
   
Miriam watched him for a moment and then smiled, you are a truly remarkable being, J’onn J’onzz..  
   
As are you he inclined his head slightly it has been a great while since I have been able to converse so. And Miriam caught the mental taste of sadness and loss, of a being like J’onn but indescribably different but together they were once whole. Of incomprehensible love. I am please to be able to do so again.  
   
You’re mate was very beautiful Miriam offered, for the creature that she had seen could be nothing other. She was at once flooded with images and feelings so overwhelming that she lost her own pain for whole moments as she soared though the world he showed her. She felt his loss echo her own. She brought through her experiences with her own tribe, with her rejection and exile. And they commiserated in their shared experiences.  
   
“J’onn! You’re awake!” Diana said, delighted and they both glanced up and smiled.  
   
“I am indeed. I’m sorry for the concern that I caused you.”   
   
Diana laughed, “I’m just glad that you’re ok. Things are pretty much cleaned up on the surface. She glanced a Miriam and her face softened, “And how are you?”  
   
“Um, I’m ok. I guess.” Miriam hedged, caught off guard by her concern. “I wanted to apologize— she began but Diana cut her off.  
   
“No need. I understand.   If someone had done something like that to my mother.” She shook her head, “And that, that woman is enough to get the Goddess of Peace herself to do violence.”  
   
Miriam laughed, immensely relived she realized, that she did not repulse the beautiful Amazon. “I’m sorry that I left you with her. You must have been amazing! I’ve never known anyone who could hold their own with her.”  
   
“Never underestimate an Amazon.”  
   
“I’ll remember that.” She glanced at J’onn and then back, “I should get going. I’ve got to check up on Tina and Jay at Arkhum.”  
   
“I cannot believe you’ve managed to get that place functional.” Diana said, voice awed. “Now that’s amazing.”   
   
“Well after dealing with the Queen, there isn’t much that phases me these day.”  
   
She moved to stand and J’onn placed on green hand on her arm, “I should like to get to know you better, Miriam O’Connell.”  
   
Her smile lit up her face, “Yeah, me to.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
Jay sat at in their bed at the Manor and waited for Bruce to come up. He’d called ahead to say that he was one his way, and though he hadn’t said as much, Jay knew he wanted to “talk”. Ah the joys of relationships. Jay glanced up from his book at a sound in the hallway.   
   
“So how are things?” He asked cheerfully, internally wincing at how battered Bruce looked.  
   
Bruce gave a half shrug, “Calming down. I plan to sleep for a few hours and then head back out. I need to look over Wayne Tech for any possible damage.   
Jay nodded and patted the bed next to him. Bruce sank down gratefully and then fixed Jay with a searching look. “Are you ok? Really ok?”  
   
Jay blinked, that wasn’t quite the tack he’d expected Bruce to take. “Do you mean am I still sane?” He asked carefully and blinked again as Bruce’s eyes went wide in surprise.  
   
“No! Why would—I was worried that you might have gotten hurt . . .” he let it trail off. Studying Jay as he fidgeted. “Why would I have worried about that?”  
   
“Um,” he ran a hand nervously though his hair, had Diana not told him about the gun? Should he? He hesitated a few moments longer and then sighted, his shoulder slumping lightly. They’d had enough secret in this relationship to last a lifetime. “I,” he cleared his throat and forced himself to meet Bruce’s eyes. “I thought you might have been worried about my using the gun.”  
   
Bruce nodded solemnly, “I did wonder. Diana didn’t mention it but I heard the report over the comm before it went down.”  
   
“I didn’t kill anyone.” He rushed to reassure him, his stomach twisting painfully in panic. “I swear—  
   
Bruce stopped him with a kiss. It went on longer than either had anticipated and when they broke apart, mouths red and swollen, Jay had to fight to keep his focus on something other than Bruce’ broad chest. He licked his lips, “I though you’d be furious.” He said quietly. Bruce pulled Jay to him, and he buried his face in that protective embrace. “It’ just,” he went on, not bother to raise his head, “I don’t have the skills that you all have and I couldn’t leave her—  
   
“I know.” Bruce said gently, stroking a hand through his hair. “Diana did tell me how you saved Gareth, how you saved all of them by calling her back. I guess,” he hesitated, “I guess that I’m so used to seeing her in control that I’d forgotten how young she was, and how much she had been hurt. If it weren’t for you we could have all been in a great deal of trouble.” Now he lifted, Jay’s chin, meeting Jay’s eyes. “Jay, I need you to know that should something happen,” he swallowed, “if for some reason you were to go over the edge again, even if you killed again, I could no more stop loving you than I could breathing. I would fight with everything I have to bring you back. I would never, ever abandon you. I swear.”  
   
Jay closed his eyes and breath a sigh of relief, laying his head back down on Bruce’s shoulder. “Thank you.”  
   
END


End file.
